学文网Ares was the god of war. Son of Zeus and Hera. While Athena represented the intellectual and civilized side of war, Ares incarnated1 mere blood lust2 and warlike frenzy3.He symbolized4 the distasteful aspect of brutal warfare and slaughter. His throne5 on Mount Olympus was said to be covered in human skin.
Areswasconsidered murderous and blood stained6 but also a coward.He would have been killed when stuffed7 into a bronze jar for 13 months by two giants but for the rescue by his brother Hermes. In another battle, he was bested by his half-brother, a mortal called Heracles.
In appearance,Ares was remarkably8 handsome and cool. In most myths, he linked with his sister-lover Aphrodite, and they were possibly the parents of Eros, the god of love.
Ares was officially one of the major gods of Mount Olympus. His fellow gods and even his parents,however,were not quite fond of him.When badly wounded during the Trojan War,his father Zeus showed him scant9 sympathy10.
Although his worship was not very extensive in Greece, Ares was very popular with the Romans, and his counterpart, Mars, was among the most worshiped gods in Rome.
In art,Ares was represented as a well-built war- rior11,carrying a bloodstained spear,and sometimes with lightening about his head.Weapons of all kinds were his symbols,the vulture12 and the dog were his animals.
战神阿瑞斯是宙斯和赫拉的儿子。如果说雅典娜体现了战争中智慧和文明的一面，阿瑞斯则可以被看作是嗜血成性的好战狂魔的化身，他象征战争中野蛮杀戮等令人厌恶的方面。据说，他在奥林匹亚山上的神祗宝座是用人皮覆盖的。
阿瑞斯杀戮成性但却本性怯懦。他曾被两个巨人塞进青铜大瓮，囚禁13月之久，若不是他兄弟赫尔墨斯的营救，他早已丧生其中。在与他同父异母的凡人兄弟赫拉克勒斯的一场决战中，他也吃了败仗。
阿瑞斯的外貌极其俊酷，很多神话传说把他和他的姐妹兼情人阿佛罗狄忒联系起来，据说他们还生有一子，即小爱神埃罗斯。
阿瑞斯是奥林匹亚山正式的重要神祗之一，但他的神祗同伴甚至他的生身父母并不十分喜欢他。在特洛伊战争中他身受重伤，而父亲宙斯对他也未表现出多大的怜悯之情。
尽管阿瑞斯在希腊没有得到广泛的崇拜，但他却大受罗马人的欢迎。在罗马，他等同于马尔斯，是最受崇拜的神祗之一。
阿瑞斯的艺术形象是位体魄雄健的武士，手持一柄血污长矛，有时头部萦绕着闪电光环。各式各样的武器是他的象征，秃鹫和狗是他的宠物。
注释
1．incarnate vt． 赋予…以形体，使化身为
2．lustn．渴望，欲望
3．frenzyn． 狂乱，狂怒
4．symbolize vt． 作为…的象征，象征，标志
5．thronen． 宝座，御座
6．stainedadj． 沾污的，污染的
7．stuff vt． 把…塞进，把…装进
8．remarkably adv． 非凡地，异常地
9．scantadj． 不足的，少量的
10．sympathyn． 同情(心)
11．warriorn． (老)战士，勇士
12．vulturen． [鸟]兀鹫，美洲鹫