5/26/2023 0 Comments Roman god of war![]() This was part of an elaborate fertility ritual, designed to bring prosperity to the harvest. On March 25, the celebration of Mars ended and the fast was broken at the celebration of the Hilaria, in which all the priests partook in an elaborate feast.ĭuring the Suovetaurilia, held every five years, bulls, pigs and sheep were sacrificed in Mars’ honor. ![]() The dance of the Salii was complex, and involved a lot of jumping, spinning and chanting. Dancing priests, called the Salii, performed elaborate rituals over and over again, and a sacred fast took place for the last nine days. Each year the Feriae Marti was held, beginning on the Kalends of March and continuing until the 24th. The month of March is named in his honor, and several festivals each year were dedicated to Mars. The head was removed, and became a coveted prize among the spectators. Great horseraces were held at the Campus Martius, and after it was over, one of the horses of the winning team was sacrificed in Mars’ honor. The military also had a special training center dedicated to Mars, called the Campus Martius, where soldiers drilled and studied. ![]() As the father of the men who later founded the city, Roman citizens often referred to themselves as “sons of Mars.”īefore going into battle, Roman soldiers often gathered at the temple of Mars Ultor (the avenger) on the Forum Augustus. He is known as the father of twins Romulus and Remus, by the Vestal virgin Rhea Silvia. As time went on, his role as an earth god expanded to include death and the underworld, and finally battle and war. In early incarnations, Mars was a fertility god, and a protector of cattle. Because of the nature of Roman society, nearly every healthy patrician male had some connection to the military, so it is logical that Mars was highly revered throughout the Empire. Mars is the Roman god of war, and scholars say he was one of the most commonly worshiped deities in ancient Rome.
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