Ἄρης

See also: Άρης and -άρης

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• Ἄρευς (Áreus)
• Ἆρες (Âres) — Ionic, Epic

Etymology

Usually derived from the Ionic word ἀρή (arḗ, “bane, ruin”), which could be related to Sanskrit इरस्या (irasyā, “malevolence”), suggesting a Proto-Indo-European origin.

However, Morris Silver and Pierre Chantraine propose a derivation from ἄρος (áros, “use, profit, help”) instead.

𐀀𐀩 (a-re), found in Linear B, is thought to be the oldest attested form of the name.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /á.rɛːs/ → /ˈa.ris/ → /ˈa.ris/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /á.rɛːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈa.re̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ris/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ris/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ris/

The α (a) is usually short in Homer and tragedy, but sometimes long, e.g. Iliad 5.31, Iliad 2..767, Argonautica 3.1187; and Aeschylus and Sophocles regularly use long ᾱ (ā).

Proper noun

Ἄρης • (Árēs) m (genitive Ᾰ̓́ρεως); third declension

1. (Greek mythology) Ares
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.29–33:

     […] ἀτὰρ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη
     χειρὸς ἑλοῦσ’ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα θοῦρον Ἄρηα:
     “Ἆρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα
     οὐκ ἂν δὴ Τρῶας μὲν ἐάσαιμεν καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς
     μάρνασθ’, ὁπποτέροισι πατὴρ Ζεὺς κῦδος ὀρέξῃ

     […] atàr glaukôpis Athḗnē
     kheiròs heloûs’ epéessi prosēúda thoûron Árēa:
     “Âres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta
     ouk àn dḕ Trôas mèn eásaimen kaì Akhaioùs
     márnasth’, hoppotéroisi patḕr Zeùs kûdos oréxēi

     {...} And flashing-eyed Athene
     took furious Ares by the hand and spake to him, saying:
     “Ares, Ares, thou bane of mortals, thou blood-stained stormer of walls,
     shall we not now leave the Trojans and Achaeans
     to fight, to whichsoever of the two it be that father Zeus shall vouchsafe glory?”

     English translation by A.T. Murray @perseus

   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.455:

     Apollo speaks the same phrase: Ἆρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα (Âres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta)

     Apollo speaks the same phrase: Âres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta (Âres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta)

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. Mars (planet)
3. war, warlike spirit
4. epithet of Zeus, "avenger"

Inflection

Irregular declension of ὁ Ἄρης; τοῦ Ἄρεως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ἄρης ho Árēs
Genitive	τοῦ Ἄρεως toû Áreōs
Dative	τῷ Ἄρει tôi Árei
Accusative	τὸν Ἄρη tòn Árē
Vocative	Ἄρες Áres
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of Ἄρης; Ἄρεος (uncontracted, Epic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	Ἄρης Árēs
Genitive	Ἄρεος / Ἄρευς Áreos / Áreus
Dative	Ἄρει / Ἄρεῐ̈ Árei / Áreĭ̈
Accusative	Ἄρεᾰ Áreă
Vocative	Ἄρες Áres
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Irregular declension of ὁ Ἄρης; τοῦ Ἄρηος (Epic, Ionic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ἄρης ho Árēs
Genitive	τοῦ Ἄρηος toû Árēos
Dative	τῷ Ἄρηϊ tôi Árēï
Accusative	τὸν Ἄρηα tòn Árēa
Vocative	Ἄρης Árēs
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Irregular declension of ὁ Ἄρευς; τοῦ Ἄρευος (Aeolic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ἄρευς ho Áreus
Genitive	τοῦ Ἄρευος toû Áreuos
Dative	τῷ Ἄρευϊ tôi Áreuï
Accusative	τὸν Ἄρευᾰ tòn Áreuă
Vocative	Ἄρευ Áreu
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• Ἀρειθῠ́σᾰνος (Areithŭ́sănos)
• Ἀρεϊκός (Areïkós)
• Ᾰ̓ρειμᾰνής (Ăreimănḗs)
• Ἀρειμᾰ́νῐος (Areimắnĭos)
• Ἀρειμᾰνῐότης (Areimănĭótēs)
• ἄρειος (áreios)
• Ἄρειος (Áreios)
• Ἄρειος πᾰ́γος (Áreios pắgos)
• Ἀρείτολμος (Areítolmos)
• Ἀρείφᾰτος (Areíphătos)
• Ἄρεος (Áreos)
• Ᾰ̓ρηΐθοος (Ărēḯthoos)
• Ᾱ̓ρηϊκτάμενος (Ārēïktámenos)
• Ἀρηΐφθορος (Arēḯphthoros)
• Ἀρηΐφῐλος (Arēḯphĭlos)
• ἀρηΐφιλος (arēḯphilos)

Descendants

• Greek: Άρης (Áris)
• Latin: Arēs
• → Russian: Аре́с (Arés), Аре́й (Aréj)
• → Old Church Slavonic: Арисъ (Arisŭ)
• Coptic: ⲁⲣⲏⲥ (arēs)

Further reading

• “Ἄρης”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Ἄρης”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “Ἄρης”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• Ἄρης in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Ἄρης in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Ἄρης in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• “Ἄρης”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,002
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN