MARS, in Pagan worship, the god of war. He was, according to some, the son of Jupiter and Juno; while others say that he was the son of Juno alone, who being displeased at Jupiter's having produced Minerva from his brain, without female aid, in revenge conceived without the assistance of the other sex, by touching a flower shown to her by Flora in the plains of Olenus, and became the mother of this formidable deity. The amours of Mars and Venus, and the manner in which Vulcan caught and exposed them to the laughter of the other gods, have been described by several of the ancient poets. He is represented as having several wives and mistresses, and a considerable number of children. He was held in the highest veneration by the Romans, both from his being the father of Romulus their founder, and from their inclination to conquest; and had magnificent temples erected to him at Rome.
Mars is usually represented in a chariot, drawn by furious horses. He is completely armed; and extends his spear with the one hand, and grasps a sword, imbrued in blood, with the other. He has a fierce and savage aspect. Discord is represented preceding his car; and Clamour, Fear, and Terror, appear in his train. The victims sacrificed to him were the wolf, the horse, the woodpecker, the vulture, and the cock.