Compare and Contrast Greek and Roman Gods Research Paper

Compare and Contrast Greek and Roman Gods - Research Paper Example He was depicted as a bearded man to symbolize masculinity, where as his body armor symbolized his willingness to go to war for Olympia. He wore golden armor to symbolize his god stature. He was synonymous with the vulture, a bird that preys on dead or decaying animals. It was a symbol for the end of a war or the warning for a coming war. In the case of Roman Mythology, the title of god of war was given to Mars. He was the son of Romulus, who was the creator of Rome. He was in love with Venus, who was the goddess of love. He was considered to be the second most important individual in Roman Mythology, second only to Jupiter (Cartledge, 2002). He was a prominent military god and was admired and respected by the Roman legions. He was considered to be the protector of Rome, and would go to war to increase the power of the Roman Empire. The story of Mars is likened to that of Ares. His story is considered to have been derived from Ares, due to the similarity in their roles and functions in their respective mythologies. The main variation is that the Roman myths is based on the use of humans becoming gods, while in Greek mythology, it is based on the establishment of gods in their own society and group, which was superior to humans in Greek societies. (Dowden, 1992) In Greek Mythology, the king of the gods was Zeus. He was the ruler of mount Olympus as well as the god of the sky, thunder, weather, order, law and fate. He is depicted as a grown man, well built and wielding a thunderbolt. His image is based on royalty, the falcon and the bull which were used to depict or illustrate his character (Wiseman, 2002). The bull was a symbol of Zeus’ strength whereas the falcon was a symbol of his swift nature in judgment, and ability to deal with matters that may concern Olympus. His character was the true definition of a king, and his rule embodied that of a ruthless ruler, who had no