Ares was interested in Aphrodite, who was already married to Ares' brother, Hephaistos. 

Ares was messing around with Aphrodite when they were interrupted by Helios, the god of the sun. 

Helios spied on Ares and Aphrodite as they enjoyed themselves and reported the event to Hephaistos. 

Hephaistos set up a net to catch Ares and Aphrodite in the act. This net trapped the two lovers with no where to go. Hephaistos, though, was not finished. 

Hephaistos told all of the gods and goddess's to come and see the two perpetrators trapped in the net. 

Most of the Gods came but not the Goddesses. 

As Ares and Aphrodite sat in the trap the Gods who were looking at them were making jokes about how they would like to trade places with Ares. 

Two giants, Otus and Ephialtes, threw Ares into chains and put him in a bronze urn, where he remained for thirteen months. That would have been the end of Ares and his appetite for war, if the beautiful Eriboea, the young giants' stepmother, had not told Hermes what they had done. 

Ares remained screaming and howling in the urn until Hermes rescued him and Artemis tricked the two giants into slaying each other. 

Deimos and Phobos were Ares' children with Aphrodite and were the spirit of terror and fear. 

The sister of Ares was Enyo, goddess of bloodshed and violence. 

The presence of Ares was accompanied by Kydoimos, the daemon of the din of battle, as well as the Makhai god of Battles, the Hysminai gods of Manslaughters, Polemos a minor spirit of war; probably an epithet of Ares, as he had no specific dominion, and Polemos' daughter, Alala, goddess of the Greek war cry, whose name Ares used as his own war cry. 

Ares was the great Olympian god of war, battle lust, civil order and manly courage. 

In Greek art Ares was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. Because of his lack of distinctive attributes he is often difficult to identify in classical art.

Some of the more famous myths featuring the god include: His adulterous affair with Aphrodite in which the pair were trapped in a net laid by her husband Hephaistos; The slaying of Adonis, his rival for the love of Aphrodite, in the guise of a boar; The transformation of Kadmos of Thebes and his wife Harmonia into serpents; The murder of Hallirhothios to avenge his daughter's rape and his subsequent trial in the court of the Areiopagos; The arrest of Sisyphos, an impious man who kidnapped the god Death; The battle of Heracles and Kyknos in which the god intervened in support of his son; His support of the Amazon’s, warrior daughters of the god; His capture by the Aloadai giants who imprisoned him in a bronze jar; 

It was the Trojan War in which Ares was wounded by Diomedes in battle with the help of Athena. 

Ares is the god of war and one of the great Olympian gods of the Greeks. 

He is represented as the son of Zeus and Hera. 

A later tradition, according to which Hera conceived Ares by touching a certain flower, appears to be an imitation of the legend about the birth of Hephaestus, and is related by Ovid. 

The character of Ares in Greek mythology will be best understood if we compare it with that of other divinities that are in some way connected with war. 
Athena represents thoughtfulness and wisdom in the affairs of war, and protects men and their habitations during its ravages. 

Ares, on the other hand, is nothing but the personification of bold force and strength, and not so much the god of war as of its tumult, confusion, and horrors. 

His sister Eris calls forth war, Zeus directs its course, but Ares loves war for its own sake, and delights in the din and roar of battles, in the slaughter of men, and the destruction of towns. 

Ares is not even influenced by party spirit, but sometimes assists the one and sometimes the other side, just as his inclination may dictate; whence Zeus calls him alloposallos. 

The destructive hand of this god was even believed to be active in the ravages made by plagues and epidemics. 

This savage and sanguinary character of Ares makes him hated by the other gods and his own parents. 

In the Iliad, he appears surrounded by the personifications of all the fearful phenomena and effects of war; but in the Odyssey his character is somewhat softened down.

It was contrary to the spirit which animated the Greeks to represent a being like Ares, with all his overwhelming physical strength, as always victorious; and when he comes in contact with higher powers, he is usually conquered. 

Ares was wounded by Diomedes, who was assisted by Athena, and in his fall he roared like nine or ten thousand other warriors together. 

When the gods began to take an active part in the war of the mortals, Athena opposed Ares, and threw him on the ground by hurling at him a mighty stone; and when he lay stretched on the earth, his huge body covered the space of seven plethra.

The gigantic Aloadai had likewise conquered and chained Ares, and had kept him a prisoner for thirteen months, until he was delivered by Hermes.  

In the contest of Typhon against Zeus, Ares was obliged, together with the other gods, to flee to Egypt, where he metamorphosed himself into a fish. 

Ares was also conquered by Heracles, with whom he fought on account of his son Cygnus, and obliged to return to Olympus. 

In numerous other contests, however, Ares was victorious.

This fierce and gigantic, but withal handsome god loved and was beloved by Aphrodite : he interfered on her behalf with Zeus, and lent her his war chariot. 

When Aphrodite loved Adonis, Ares in his jealousy metamorphosed himself into a bear, and killed his rival.

According to a late tradition, Ares slew Hallirhothios, the son of Poseidon, when he was on the point of violating Aliped, the daughter of Ares. Hereupon Poseidon accused Ares in the Areiopagos, where the Olympian gods were assembled in court. Ares was acquitted, and this event was believed to have given rise to the name Areiopagos.

The warlike character of the tribes of Thrace led to the belief, that the Ares' residence was in that country, and here and in Scythia were the principal seats of his worship.  

In Scythia Ares was worshipped in the form of a sword, to which not only horses and other cattle, but men also were sacrificed. 

Ares was further worshipped in Colchis, where the Golden Fleece was suspended on an oak tree in a grove sacred to Ares. 

The Dioscuri were believed to have brought to Laconia the ancient statue of Ares which was preserved in the temple of Ares Thareitas, on the road from Sparta to Therapnae. 

The island near the coast of Colchis, in which the Stymphalian birds were believed to have dwelt, and which is called the island of Ares, Aretias, Aria, or Chalceritis, was likewise sacred to him. 
 
In Greece itself the worship of Ares was not very general. 

At Athens Ares had a temple containing a statue made by Alcamenes; at Geronthrae in Laconia Ares had a temple with a grove, where an annual festival was celebrated, during which no woman was allowed to approach the temple. 

Ares was also worshipped near Tegea, and in the town, at Olympia, and at Sparta, where there was an ancient statue, representing the god in chains, to indicate that the martial spirit and victory were never to leave the city of Sparta. 

At Sparta human sacrifices were offered to Ares. 

The temples of Ares were usually built outside the towns, probably to suggest the idea that he was to prevent enemies from approaching them.

All the stories about Ares and his worship in the countries north of Greece seem to indicate that his worship was introduced in the latter country from Thrace; and the whole character of the god, as described by the most ancient poets of Greece, seems to have been thought little suited to be represented in works of art: in fact, we hear of no artistic representation of Ares previous to the time of Alcamenes, who appears to have created the ideal of Ares. 

There are few Greek monuments now extant with representations of the god of war; Ares appears principally on coins, relief’s, and gems. 

The Romans identified their god Mars with the Greek Ares.

Ares, exceeding in strength, chariot rider, golden helmed, doughty in heart, shield bearer, Savior of cities, harnessed in bronze, strong of arm, unwearyingly, mighty with the spear, O defender of Olympus, father of warlike victory, ally of Themis, stern governor of the rebellious, leader of the righteous men, sceptred King of manliness, who whirl your fiery sphere the star Mars among the planets in their sevenfold courses through the aither wherein your blazing steeds ever bear you above the third firmament of heaven; hear me, helper of men, giver of dauntless youth! Shed down a kindly ray from above upon my life, and strength of war, that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain also the keen fury of my heart which provokes me to tread the ways of bloodcurdling strife. Rather, O blessed one, give you me boldness to abide within the harmless laws of peace, avoiding strife and hatred and the violent fiends of death.

Magnanimous, unconquered, boisterous Ares, in darts rejoicing, and in bloody wars; fierce and untamed, whose mighty power can make the strongest walls from their foundations shake: mortal destroying king, defiled with gore, pleased with war’s dreadful and tumultuous roar. Thee human blood, and swords, and spears delight, and the dire ruin of mad savage fight. Stay furious contests, and avenging strife, whose works with woe embitter human life; to lovely Kyrpis and to Lyaios yield, for arms exchange the labors of the field; encourage peace, to gentle works inclined, and give abundance, with benignant mind.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF ARES

Classical literature offers only a few, brief descriptions of the physical characteristics of the gods.

Ares made play in his hands with spear gigantic and ranged now in front of Hector and now behind him. 

Diomedes of the Great War cry shivered with fear as he saw him.

 
Ares; insatiable in battle, blazing like the light of burning fire in his armor and standing in his chariots, and his running horses trampled and dented the ground with their hooves All the grove and the altar were lighted up by the dread god, Ares, himself and his armor, and the shining from his eyes was like fire man slaughtering Ares screaming aloud, courses all over the sacred grove.

On the shield stood the fleet footed horses of grim Ares made gold and deadly Ares the spoil winner himself. He held a spear in his hands and was urging on the footmen: he was red with blood as if he was slaying living men, and he stood in his chariot. Beside him stood Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Flight), eager to plunge amidst the fighting men.

BIRTH & YOUTH OF ARES

Zeus took Hera to be his fresh consort, and she, lying in the arms of the father of gods and mortals, conceived and bore Hebe to him, and Ares, and Eileithyia.

Dike, the goddess of justice, speaks: Much would they gain, should they receive me kindly. 

No city of people or private man, since such is the god sent fortune she enjoys. And I will tell you a proof which gives you this clearly. 

Dike, the goddess of justice believes Hera has reared a violent son Ares whom she has borne to Zeus, a god irascible, hard to govern, an one whose mind knew no respect for others. 

Ares shot wayfarers with deadly arrows, and ruthlessly hacked with hooked spears as he rejoiced and laughed. 

Zeus married Hera and fathered Hebe, Eileithyia, and Ares.

A road from the city of Sparta leads across the River Eurotas to Therapne, where Of all the objects along this road the oldest is a sanctuary of Ares.

They surname him Theritas the Beastly One after Thero, who is said to have been the nurse of Ares. 

Perhaps it was from the Kolkhians that they heard the name Theritas, since the Greeks know of no Thero, nurse of Ares.

Flora tells the story of the birth of Ares: Ares also, you may not know, was formed by my Flora's arts. 

I pray that Jove Zeus stays ignorant of this. 

Holy Juno Hera, when Minerva Athena sprang motherless, was hurt that Jove did not need her service. 

She went to complain to Oceanus of her husband’s deeds. 

She stopped at our door, tired from the journey. 

As soon as I saw her, I asked, `What’s brought you here, Saturnia Hera’ she reports where she’s going, and cites the cause. 

I consoled her with friendly words: `Words,’ she declares, `cannot relieve my pain. 

If Jove became a father without using a spouse and possesses both titles by himself, why should I not expect a spouseless motherhood, chaste parturition, untouched by a man I’ll try every drug on the broad earth and empty Oceanus and the hollows of Tartarus.’

Her speech was midcourse; my face was hesitant. `You look, Nymph, as thou you can help,’ she says. 

Three times I wanted to help, three times my tongue stuck: Jupiter’s anger caused massive fear. `Please help me,’ she said, `my source will be concealed;’ and the divine Styx testifies to this.

`A flower,’ I said, `from the fields of Olenus in the Peloponnesus will grant your wish. It’s unique to my gardens. I was told: Touch a barren cow; she’ll be a mother. I touched. No delay: she was a mother.'

I quickly plucked the clinging flower with my thumb. Juno feels its touch and at the touch conceives. She bulges, and enters Thrace and west Propontis, and fulfils her wish: Mars Ares was created. 

Recalling my role in his birth, Mars said: `You, too, should have a place in Romulus’ city.'

The fact that Ovid mentions the Greek city of Olenos in this myth, strongly suggests it was derived it from a Greek source.

The child, lying in the bosom of the vernal earth and deep in herbage, now crawls forward on his face and crushes the soft grasses, no in clamorous thirst for milk cries for his beloved nurse, such was the young Ares amid Odrysian snow.

Odrysia is in Thrake, the favorite land of the god.

ARES & THE GIANT ECHIDNADES

Ares brought low such another giant, Echidna’s son, the gods’ enemy, spitting the horrible poison of hideous Echidna the serpent Nymphe.

He had two shapes together, and in the forest he shook the twisting coils of his mother’s spine. 

Kronos used this huge creature to confront the thunderbolt of Zeus, hissing war with the snaky soles of his feet; when he realized his hands above the circle of the breast and fought against your Zeus, and lifting his high head, covered it with masses of cloud in the paths of the sky. 

Then if the birds came wandering into his tangled hair, he often swept them together into his capacious throat for a dinner. This masterpiece your brother Ares killed.