The Love of Ares and Aphrodite
Amasea in
Pontus,
Marcus Aurelius,
Æ32 (31-32 mm / 19.02 g), 163–164 AD.,
Obv.: [ΑΥΤ] ΚΑΙΣ Μ ΑΥΡ ΑΝ - [ΤΩΝΙΝΟΣ ΣΕΒ] , laureate-headed
bust of
Marcus Aurelius wearing
cuirass and
paludamentum, r.
Rev.: [ΑΔΡ] ΑΜΑΣ ΝΕ-ΩΚ Κ ΜΗΤ Κ] ΠΡΩ ΠΟΝ / [Ε]Τ [ΡΞΕ] (year 165 of the era of Amasea = 163-4 AD.) , to l., Ares standing, facing,
head, r., wearing
military dress, holding spear, resting hand on
shield; to r., nude Aphrodite standing, l., covering her breasts with r. hand and pudenda with l. hand.
RPC online temporary № 5288 (10 specimens listed) ;
Waddington,
Rec.
Gen p. 36, 18 ;
BMC 1929-10-13-394 .
Ares embodied the very essence of war, earning him a reputation as a violent God, an immortal of action and determination. He was the son of
Zeus and
Hera, the
King and Queen of the Olympic Gods, who weren't too keen on their (legimite for a change) son. Ares was accompanied into battle by
his uncle Hades (the Lord of the Underworld),
his sister Eris (Goddess of Discord), her son Strife and
his two sons Phobus and Deimos (panic and fear). Ares rode into battle on the
side of the Trojans with
his horses,
Flame and Terror, pulling
his war
chariot. He swooped down to
help Aphrodite defend her son Aineias and saved him from sure death at the
hands of the Achaians. While Ares protected Aineias with
his shield, Aphrodite made her escape to Mount Olympus to tend her wounds.
Love Life: Ares never married but
had an ongoing affair with Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. They
had three children - Phobus, Deimos and
Eros (
Cupid).
Ares and Aphrodite
But the minstrel struck the chords in prelude to
his sweet lay and sang of the love of Ares and Aphrodite of the
fair crown, how first they lay together in the house of Hephaestus secretly; and Ares gave her many gifts, and shamed the bed of the lord Hephaestus. But straightway one came to him with tidings, even Helius, who
had marked them as they lay together in love. And when Hephaestus heard the grievous tale, he went
his way to
his smithy, pondering evil in the deep of
his heart, and set on the anvil block the great anvil and forged bonds which might not be broken or loosed, that the lovers might bide fast where they were. But when he
had fashioned the snare in
his wrath against Ares, he went to
his chamber where lay
his bed, and everywhere round about the bed-posts he spread the bonds, and many too were hung from above, from the roof-beams,
fine as spiders' webs, so that no one even of the blessed gods could see them, so exceeding craftily were they fashioned. But when he
had spread all
his snare about the couch, he made as though he would go to Lemnos, that well-built citadel, which is in
his eyes far the dearest of all lands. And no blind watch did Ares of the golden rein keep, when he saw Hephaestus, famed for
his handicraft, departing, but he went
his way to the house of famous Hephaestus, eager for the love of Cytherea of the
fair crown. Now she
had but newly come from the presence of her father, the mighty son of Cronos, and
had sat her down. And Ares came into the house and clasped her hand and spoke and addressed her:
Come, love, let us to bed and take our
joy, couched together. For Hephaestus is no longer here in the land, but has now gone, I ween, to Lemnos, to visit the Sintians of savage speech.
So he spoke, and a welcome thing it seemed to her to lie with him. So they two went to the couch, and lay them down to sleep, and about them clung the cunning bonds of the
wise Hephaestus,
nor could they in any
wise stir their limbs or raise them up. Then at length they learned that there was no more escaping. And near to them came the famous god of the two strong arms, having turned back before he reached the land of Lemnos; for Helius
had kept watch for him and
had brought him word. So he went to
his house with a heavy heart, and stood at the gateway, and fierce anger seized him. And terribly he cried out and called to all the gods:
Father
Zeus, and ye other blessed gods that are forever, come hither that ye may see a laughable matter and a monstrous, even how Aphrodite, daughter of
Zeus, scorns me for that I am lame and loves destructive Ares because he is comely and strong of limb, whereas I was born misshapen. Yet for this is none other to blame but my two parents--would they
had never begotten me! But ye shall see where these two have gone up into my bed and sleep together in love; and I am troubled at the sight. Yet, methinks, they will not wish to lie longer thus, no, not for a moment, how loving soever they are. Soon shall both lose their desire to sleep; but the snare and the bonds shall hold them until her father pays back to me all the gifts of wooing that I gave him for the sake of
his shameless girl; for
his daughter is
fair but bridles not her passion.
So he spoke and the gods gathered to the house of the brazen floor. Poseidon came, the earth-enfolder, and the helper
Hermes came, and the lord
Apollo, the archer god. Now the goddesses abode for shame each in her own house, but the gods, the givers of
good things, stood in the gateway; and unquenchable laughter arose among the blessed gods as they saw the craft of
wise Hephaestus. And thus would one speak, with a glance at
his neighbor:
Ill deeds thrive not. The slow catches the
swift; even as now Hephaestus, slow though he is, has out-stripped Ares for all that he is the swiftest of the gods who hold Olympus. Lame though he is, he has caught him by craft, wherefore Ares owes the
fine of the adulterer.
Thus they spoke to one another. But to
Hermes the lord
Apollo, son of
Zeus, said:
Hermes, son of
Zeus, messenger, giver of
good things, wouldst thou in sooth be willing, even though ensnared with strong bonds, to lie on a couch by the
side of golden Aphrodite?
Then the messenger, Argeiphontes, answered him:�Would that this might befall, lord
Apollo, thou archer god-- that thrice as many bonds inextricable might clasp me about and ye gods, aye, and all the goddesses too might be looking on, but that I might sleep by the
side of golden Aphrodite.�
So he spoke and laughter arose among the immortal gods. Yet Poseidon laughed not, but ever besought Hephaestus, the famous craftsman, to set Ares free; and he spoke, and addressed him with winged words:
Loose him, and I promise, as thou biddest me, that he shall himself pay thee all that is right in the presence of the immortal gods.
Then the famous god of the two strong arms answered him: �Ask not this of me, Poseidon, thou earth-enfolder. A sorry thing to be sure of is the surety for a sorry knave. How could I put thee in bonds among the immortal gods, if Ares should avoid both the debt and the bonds and depart?
Then again Poseidon, the earth-shaker, answered him: �Hephaestus, even if Ares shall avoid the debt and flee away, I will myself pay thee this.�
Then the famous god of the two strong arms answered him: It may not be that I should say thee nay,
nor were it seemly.
So saying the mighty Hephaestus loosed the bonds and the two, when they were freed from that bond so strong, sprang up straightway. And Ares departed to
Thrace, but she, the laughter-loving Aphrodite, went to
Cyprus, to Paphos, where is her demesne and fragrant
altar. There the
Graces bathed her and anointed her with immortal oil, such as gleams upon the gods that are forever. And they clothed her in lovely raiment, a wonder to behold.
~
Homer's Odysessy~
And in plain english:
Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the God of the Forge. Hephaestus was lame and ugly, and Aphrodite was not very happy with the marriage. She
had many lovers, but her favourite was Ares.
Ares and Aphrodite were dallying together when their interlude was rudely interrupted. You see, the god of the sun,
Helios, from whom little, if anything, could be kept secret, spied the pair in enjoying each other one day.
Helios promptly reported the incident to Hephaestus, who was understandably angry. Hephaestus contrived to catch the couple "in the
act", and so he fashioned a net to snare the illicit lovers. At the appropriate time, this net was sprung, and trapped Ares and Aphrodite locked in very private embrace.
But Hephaestus was not yet satisfied with
his revenge - he invited the olympian gods and goddesses to view the unfortunate pair. For the sake of modesty, the goddesses demurred, but the male gods went and witnessed the sight. Some commented on the beauty of Aphrodite, others remarked that they would eagerly trade places with Ares, and they all laughed.
Well, except for Ares, who was out of sorts, and Aphrodite, who, if goddesses can blush like maidens, surely did so.
- information from Mythography
"not even the God of War withstands him; for we hear, not of Love caught by Ares, but of Ares caught by Love--of Aphrodite. The captor is stronger than the caught; and as he controls what is braver than any other, he must be bravest of all."
from:
http://www.geocities.com/the_temple_of_ares/areslove.html