Marble head of Mars, dating to the Imperial age (II century A.D.), now in the Art Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.
Mars was one of the most important divinities of ancient Rome and formed, together with Iuppiter and Quirinus, the archaic divine triad. He was the god of power and of war, to whom ceremonies were dedicated during springtime and autumn, marking the beginning and end of the military activities. Mars was called “Wild” (Fere Mars) in the Carmen Arvale, a liturgical chant performed by the ancient priestly fraternity of the Arval Brethren. The places of worship dedicated to him were generally located outside the city walls: his most ancient sanctuary was the altar (Ara Martis) in the Field of Mars, an area originally devoted to military exercises, while his temple (the Templum Martis extra Portam Capenam) was along the Appian way. The god was invoked for the protection of the Roman territory (ager romanus) against its enemies, but also against animals and scourges damaging the fields and cultivations. The sacrifice offered to Mars was the suovetaurilia, a set of three victims, a boar, a ram and a bull, which had the purpose of removing and averting all the diseases, calamities and bad weather, guaranteeing the growth of crops and abundance and fertility in both humans and domestic animals (Schilling-Guittard 2005b).


[Image: http://www.artic.edu/aic/resources/resource/2676]