Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. It is named for Mars, the Roman god of war, whom the Romans identified with the Greek god Ares. Its reddish colour has led it to be called the “Red Planet”, and it has been known since prehistoric times.

The Planet

The iron oxide prevalent on the surface of Mars gives it a reddish colour. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are small and irregular in shape. Both names come from Greek myth: Phobos and Deimos were sons of Ares.

The God Behind the Name

Mars is the Roman god of war. His Greek counterpart is Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera (Hesiod, Theogony 921–923). In the Iliad Zeus tells Ares that he is the most hateful to him of all the gods who hold Olympus, since strife, wars and battles are always dear to him; Zeus adds that Ares has the unbearable spirit of his mother Hera (Homer, Iliad 5.890–893).

Hesiod says that Aphrodite bore Ares Phobos (Fear) and Deimos (Terror), who throw the close ranks of men into confusion in chilling war, together with Ares, sacker of cities, and she also bore him Harmonia, whom Cadmus took as his wife (Hesiod, Theogony 933–937). The moons of Mars bear the names of these two sons.

Mars in Roman Myth

In Roman tradition, Mars was the father of Romulus and Remus. Livy tells that the Vestal Rhea Silvia was violated and gave birth to twins, and named Mars as their father, either because she really believed it or because it seemed less wrong if a god had been the cause of her fault (Livy, History of Rome 1.4.2). Virgil likewise has Jupiter promise that Ilia, the priestess, “pregnant by Mars”, will bear twin sons (Virgil, Aeneid 1.273–274).

The Planet in Ancient Writers

Hyginus says that the star of Mars was called Pyrois, a name that means fiery. He describes it as small in size but with a shape like a flame, and says that it travels through all the signs of the zodiac (Hyginus, Astronomica 4.19). He also notes that some called it the star of Hercules, and reports the explanation of Eratosthenes: the star of Mars follows the star of Venus, because Venus granted Mars the favour of pursuing her star after Vulcan had married her and Mars had been unable to reach her; the star was named Pyrois because the love of Mars for Venus burned so fiercely (Hyginus, Astronomica 2.42).

Mars Sources

Hesiod, Theogony 921–923, 933–937; Homer, Iliad 5.890–893; Livy, History of Rome 1.4.2; Virgil, Aeneid 1.273–274; Hyginus, Astronomica 2.42, 4.19.

See Also: Ares, Aphrodite, Romulus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus Planet, Neptune