Representatives of many pagan cultures worshiped the god of war, sometimes not even one. Since among the primitive peoples of antiquity, victory in war was revered as a favor from heaven, the gods of war occupied an important position in the pantheon. Each tribe had its own god of war, but often these gods were endowed with similar character traits.
Greek gods of war
The Greeks worshiped two gods of war: Ares - an insidious, treacherous and bloodthirsty god who loves chaos and war for the sake of war itself, and Athena - an honest, just and wise goddess who prefers to wage organized war using strategy. Ares and Athena were part of the pantheon of the twelve major Olympic gods. According to ancient Greek myths, Ares also had companions: the goddess of strife and strife Eris, the goddess of violent war and fury Enio, as well as his sons Phobos (god of fear) and Deimos (god of horror).
Roman gods of war
The main god of war of the Romans was Mars, who was originally the god of fertility and was considered the founder and guardian of Rome. After the conquest of Greece, Mars was identified with Ares. Mars was one of the three gods who stood at the head of the Roman pantheon. His companions were the horror god Pavor (identified with the Greek god Deimos), the fear god Pallor (identified with the Greek god Phobos), the war goddess Bellona (identified with the Greek goddess Enio) and the goddess Discordia (identified with the Greek goddess Eris). The Romans also revered Minerva, identified with the Greek goddess Athena, as the patroness of war.
Egyptian gods of war
The Egyptians worshiped Set, Sekhmet and Montu as gods of war. Initially, in ancient Egyptian mythology, Seth was considered a warrior god, patronizing royal power. Later, Seth was demonized and contrasted with Horus, one of the central Egyptian deities. As a result, Seth became the god of war, death, chaos and destruction. The goddess of war Sekhmet was considered the keeper of the world, but at the same time she had a changeable character: she let illnesses and healed them, enjoyed bloodshed, and her anger brought epidemics. The ancient Egyptian god Montu was one of the solar deities, but later also began to be worshiped as a god of war.
West Semitic God of War
The Semites did not have a single mythological system, since each area, as a rule, had its own patron god. However, the common deity of war for all Western Semites was Baal, also called Baal and Balu. Baal was revered not only as the god of war, but also as the god of fertility, sky, sun, waters, the creator of the universe, animals and people.
Celtic gods of war
The Celtic deity of war was Camulus, whom the Romans identified with Mars. The functions of Kamula are little known, since there are few written mentions of this god. In addition to Kamula, the Celts worshiped the three sisters Morrigan, Badb and Maha. Some researchers believe that they were not separate deities, but reflected different aspects of the trinitarian goddess of war.
Scandinavian gods of war
The supreme god of the Scandinavians Odin was also the god of war. His retinue consisted of Valkyries - maidens who decide the fate of warriors on the battlefield and select heroes for the heavenly palace of Valhalla. Odin's son Tyr, also called Tyr or Tiv, was worshiped as the god of military prowess. The Scandinavian goddess of love and fertility, Freya, could also bring victory in battle, so she was revered as a goddess of war. In addition, she took for herself those fallen warriors who did not fall into Valhalla.
Slavic god of war
The main god of the ancient Russian pagan pantheon, Perun, was revered as the god of thunder and lightning, as well as the patron saint of the prince, squad and the military elite. After the arrival of Christianity, the military features of Perun were transferred to George the Victorious and partially to the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb.
