Mars, the son of Jupiter and Juno, was born in Thrace, a country noted
for its fierce storms and war-loving people. He had quarrelsome tastes
and delighted in the din and noise of warfare, never questioning
which side was right. Strife and slaughter were the conditions of his
existence. His attendants, Fear, Discord, Alarm, Dread and Terror,
sympathized with him heartily and readily followed his lead.
Bellona, goddess of war, watched over him closely. She drove his
chariot, warded off dangerous blows, and in other ways protected him.
The altars of Mars and Bellona were the only ones given up to human
sacrifice.
The shield and sword, the spear and burning torch are the emblems of
Mars. His chosen animals are haunters of the battle field--the vulture
and the dog.
The character of this fierce god of battles had a softer side. Although
inconsistent and capricious, he loved and was beloved by Venus, the
fair goddess of beauty.
The principal worshipers of Mars were Roman soldiers who believed that
he marched in person at the head of their armies. Their exercising
ground was called the Campus Martius or field of Mars. All the laurel
crowns bestowed upon victorious generals were placed on his statues and
a bull was their customary sacrifice to him.
“The soldier from successful camps returning
With laurel wreathed and rich with hostile spoil,
Severs the bull to Mars.”
--_Prior._