![]() ![]() The warlike Mars was called Gradivus, as the rustic god was called Silvanus while, in his relation to the state, he bore the name of Quirinus. agriculture, and hence he was invoked to be propitious to the household of the rustic Roman 5 and under the name of Silvanus, he was worshiped to take care of the cattle. But being the father of the Romans, Mars was also the protector of the most honorable pursuit, i.e. The rites of the worship of Mars all point to victory, in proof of which we need only direct attention to the dances in armor of the Salii, the dedication of the place of warlike exercises and games to Mars (Campus Martius), and that war itself is frequently designated by the name of Mars. 3 Hence a very ancient sanctuary was dedicated to Mars on the Quirinal hill, near the temple of Dius Fidius, from which he derived his surname of Quirinus, 4 and hence he was regarded as the father of the Roman people, having begotten the founders of Rome by Rhea Silvia, a priestess of Vesta. Next to Jupiter, Mars enjoyed the highest honors at Rome: he frequently is designated as father Mars, whence the forms Marspiter and Maspiter, analogous to Jupiter 2 and Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus, were the three tutelary divinities of Rome, to each of whom king Numa appointed a flamen, whose rank was sometimes thought higher even than that of the great pontiff. The name of the god in the Sabine and Oscan was Mamers and Mars itself is a contraction of Mavers or Mavors. The transition from the idea of Mars as an agricultural god to that of a warlike being, was not difficult with the early Latins, as the two occupations were intimately connected. In the first place Mars bore the surname of Silvanus, and sacrifices were offered to him for the prosperity of the fields and flocks and in the second a lance was honored at Rome as well as at Praeneste as the symbol of Mars, 1 so that Mars resembles more the Greek Pallas Athena than Ares. An ancient Roman god, who was at an early period identified by the Romans with the Greek Ares, or the god delighting in bloody war, although there are a variety of indications that the Italian Mars was originally a divinity of a very different nature.
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