Ares Borghese facts for kids

The Ares Borghese is a famous Roman marble statue. It was made around the 1st or 2nd century AD and stands about 2.11 meters (nearly 7 feet) tall. You can tell it's a statue of Ares, the Greek god of war, because he wears a helmet. He also has a special ankle ring that his lover, Aphrodite, gave him.

This statue might be a copy of an older, lost bronze statue from ancient Greece, made around 500 BC. However, some experts believe it's a new Roman artwork inspired by classic Greek styles.

The God Ares in Art

Ares, the god of war, was not often shown in ancient Greek art, especially in sculptures. For a long time, people thought the Ares Borghese might be a copy of a statue made by a famous Athenian sculptor named Alcamenes.

Why It's Probably Not Alcamenes's Work

Ancient writings mention that Alcamenes made a statue of Ares for the Athenian agora (a public meeting place). But the temple where this statue was placed was only moved to the Agora much later, during the time of the Roman emperor Augustus. This means the timeline doesn't quite fit for the Ares Borghese to be a direct copy of Alcamenes's original. Also, other statues believed to be copies of Alcamenes's work show Ares wearing a breastplate, which the Ares Borghese does not.

So, it's more likely that the Ares Borghese is a Roman creation. It was made in a style that looked back to the classical Greek period, known as "classicising" or "Neo-Attic" art.

History of the Statue

Later on, statues like the Ares Borghese were often paired with female statues, such as those similar to the Venus de Milo. These pairs were used to represent Roman emperors and empresses. They symbolized the idea of balancing military strength with peace, much like the famous Mars and Venus artworks.

The Ares Borghese statue was once part of the large art collection of the Borghese collection family in Italy. In 1807, Napoleon bought it from them. Today, it is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

Popular culture

• The statue is present (as a bust) in the anime Sekko Boys.

Gallery

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  A closer view of the upper body of the statue.

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  A detailed look at the helmet worn by Ares.