The origin of Ares is very vague. We know that his parents are Zeus and Athena, and that he was born in Thrace. The symbols of Ares are the spear, helmet, dog, chariot, and boar. Ares was the god of war, bloodthirst and violence. Athena was also the goddess of war, but she was worshiped mainly due to her prowess and strategy on the battlefield. Ares however, was associated more with the death and horrors of war. Ares is involved in a couple of myths, most prominently the Iliad. In the Iliad, Ares helped fight for and defend the Trojans, which Zeus said that gods could not do, but was later allowed to happen. Athenae, Ares’s sister, saw him fighting and told Zeus. Zeus allowed retaliation from Diomedes, who struck Ares with a spear. Ares left the battlefield, but later fought again because his son was killed. Ares started to fight again but was overpowered by Athena.