Who Are the Children of Ares in Greek Mythology?

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Plus, learn about Ares’ children in the Percy Jackson series
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Ares is the god of war and brutality in battle, and one of the twelve Olympians in Greek mythology. As one of the major gods, he’s fathered quite a few important children in his days on Mount Olympus. Whether you’re interested in Ares or just Greek mythology in general, we’re here to tell you all about Ares divine and mortal offspring, plus which child he may have favored. Plus, if you’re a fan of Percy Jackson, we’ll tell you about his demigod children who show up in the series!

The Children of Ares

Ares had several divine children with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. This includes the twins Phobos (panic) and Deimos (dread), Harmonia (harmony), Anteros (requited love), and Eros (love). He has many mortal children who play a part in important myths, including the Amazons (Hippolyta), Alcippe, and Cycnus.

Section 1 of 5:

Divine Children of Ares

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  1. Step 1 Phobos
    Phobos is the son of Ares and Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Phobos definitely takes more after his father, as he’s the god of fear and panic. According to myth, he drives his father’s chariot into battle alongside his twin brother, Deimos, and helps spread fear among the enemy. Phobos also helps prepare his father for battle and protects him on the field.[1]
    • Phobos is typically depicted as a classical Greek youth. In some depictions, he has a lion-like face.
    • Note: While Ares and Aphrodite have several children together, they are not married. Instead, their children are from their long love affair (which all the gods seem to know about). Aphrodite is actually married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and blacksmiths, who is Ares’ brother!
  2. 2
    Deimos Deimos is the twin brother of Phobos, which also makes him the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He’s the god of terror and dread, acting as Phobos’ counterpart to inspire fear during battle. Deimos is also his father’s assistant in battle alongside his brother: he helps Ares put on his armour, prepares and commands his chariot, and removes him from battle when he gets hurt.[2]
    • Like Phobos, Deimos is typically described as a classic Greek youth. He doesn’t have many defining features.
    • In some myths, Greek heroes carry shields with Phobos’ and Deimos’ faces on them to help inspire fear on the battlefield. For instance, Heracles and Agamemnon were said to carry shields depicting the twins of fear.
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  3. 3
    Harmonia Harmonia is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. Given her name, it may come as no surprise that she is the goddess of harmony and concord. She soothes personal disagreements and arguments, as well as conflict on the battlefield, which makes her a true reflection of both of her parents. In some myths, she’s also seen as the goddess of balance.[3]
    • Harmonia is married to Cadmus, the founder of Thebes. The two’s youngest daughter is Semele, who is the mother of Dionysus (with Zeus). They also have several other children who are important Theban kings and queens.
    • Harmonia was famously gifted a necklace at her wedding to Cadmus, called the Necklace of Harmonia, which causes misfortune to all who wear it. So, her family line is unfortunately filled with tragedy.
    • According to most myths, Hephaestus gave Harmonia the necklace. Hephaestus is Aphrodite’s husband, so he was angry about Aphrodite’s affair with Ares, and decided to take out his anger on their daughter.
  4. 4
    Anteros In most myths, Anteros is another son of Ares and Aphrodite. He’s known as the god of requited or reciprocal love, and the punisher or avenger of unrequited love. Anteros is typically depicted as a young man with wings, and armed with a bow and arrow. He’s usually accompanied by Eros, the god of love and desire, and acts as his counterpart.[4]
    • In some other myths, Anteros is simply the child of Aphrodite and has no named father.
    • Anteros and Eros are commonly depicted on either side of Aphrodite’s scales of love, which she uses to determine someone’s romantic fate.
  5. 5
    Eros Eros has a complex history, and in some myths, he’s said to be the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He is the god of love and desire, who is a bit of a mischievous character in Greek mythology. The winged youth carries a bow and arrow with him, which he uses to shoot people and make them fall in love or averse to love. He doesn’t always have good intentions, as he makes many a god and mortal go insane from love (see: Apollo and Daphne). He’s also the one responsible for Zeus’ many love affairs![5]
    • Greek and Roman mythology expert Julia VanderHoeven says that in early mythology, Eros actually started as one of the primordial gods, who are the first gods to exist in the universe. In these myths, Eros was one of the first gods to spring out from Chaos, the goddess who created the universe.[6]
    • However, VanderHoeven explains that in later mythology, Eros became known as the child of Aphrodite and was given his classic cherub appearance and bow and arrow.[7]
    • One of Eros’ most notable myths is about him falling in love with Psyche, says comparative mythologist Maria Souza. According to her, the tale of Psyche and Eros is one of the greatest love stories in Greek mythology, as the two go through a journey filled with love, trust, and discovery.[8]
  6. 6
    Nike Nike’s parentage is also widely contested, but in the ancient Greek Homeric Hymns, she’s named as Ares’ daughter. Nike is the goddess of victory, representing victory in battle and all kinds of contests. She was one of the main supporters in Zeus’ plan to overthrow the Titans and fought with him in the battle against Typhon, which earned the king of the gods’ respect and a spot by his side. She’s usually depicted with wings while running swiftly on her feet.[9]
    • In other myths, Nike is the daughter of Styx, the goddess of River Styx in the underworld, and Pallas, the Titan god of warcraft.
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Section 2 of 5:

Mortal Children of Ares

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  1. 1
    Otrera and the Amazons The Amazons are a race of women warriors who are the daughters of Ares. The first Amazon was Otrera, whose mother is the nymph Harmonia (coincidentally, the same name as Ares’ daughter!). Otrera is the first queen of the Amazons and commands her warriors to battle. The Amazons are the enemies of the Greeks, famously fighting against the hero Theseus and on the side of the Trojans in the Iliad.[10]
    • The Amazons maintain a woman-only society and are said to live on the outskirts of Greece, with their capital being Themiscyra (present-day Turkey).
    • Other famous Amazons and daughters of Ares include Hippolyta (queen), Penthesilea (queen), Antiope, and Melanippe.
  2. 2
    Hippolyta Hippolyta is one of the most famous Amazon warriors, who is the daughter of Ares and Otrera (yes, Ares’ own daughter—that’s fairly common in Greek mythology!). She later becomes the queen of the Amazons and runs into Hercules during his twelve labors, where he’s tasked with taking Hippolyta’s golden girdle, which was a gift to her from Ares.[11]
    • According to myth, Hippolyta respects Hercules and is happy to receive him when he comes to Themiscyra to ask for her girdle. She is even willing to give it to him, but Hera intervenes and starts a rumor that Hercules wants to kidnap Hippolyta. So, the Amazons attack him and his company, and Hippolyta dies in the battle.[12]
  3. 3
    Alcippe Alcippe is the daughter of Ares and the princess Aglaurus of Attica. She is at the center of a tragic myth where she gets attacked on the beach by Halirrhothius, a son of Poseidon. Ares rescues Alcippe and kills Halirrhothius, which angers Poseidon. Ares is put on trial by the gods, but is thankfully acquitted because he defended his daughter.[13]
    • According to myth, Ares’ trial by the gods was the first trial ever in history.
  4. 4
    Cycnus Cycnus is the son of Ares, and depending on the myth, either Pelopia or Pyrene. He is a bandit who took control of an area of Thessaly and killed many of the inhabitants. According to one myth, Hercules comes through Thessaly one day, and Cycnus decides to challenge him to a duel with Ares’ support. Hercules wins and kills Cycnus.[14]
    • In some stories, Ares tries to intervene after Hercules kills Cycnus. However, Zeus prevents them from fighting by striking the ground with a thunderbolt. As Cycnus dies, Ares turns him into a swan.
  5. 5
    Diomedes Diomedes is the son of Ares and Cyrene, a princess of the Lapiths. He is the leader of the barbaric Bistonian tribe, who famously feeds his horses human flesh. Diomedes is also another one of Ares’ children who encounters Hercules. During Hercules’ twelve labors, he is tasked with stealing Diomedes horses, and in the process, kills him.[15]
  6. 6
    Thrassa Thrassa is the daughter of Ares and Tereine, the daughter of the river god Strymon. She is most notable for marrying Hipponous, a leader of the tribe of Thrace, and having her daughter, Polyphonte. In a popular myth, Polyphonte scorns Aphrodite and decides to live in the mountains with Artemis. This angers Aphrodite, who forces Polyphonte to fall in love with a bear, which results in her having the bear giants Agrius and Oreus.[16]
  7. 7
    Aeropus Aeropus is the son of Ares and Aerope, a princess of Arcadia. According to the myth, Aerope dies during childbirth. However, Ares keeps Aeropus alive by allowing milk to continue to flow through Aerope’s breasts. This earns Ares the epithet Aphneius, which means “abundant.”[17]
    • While there’s not much known about Aeropus’ life after his birth, this is a sweet tale of Ares’ love for his children.
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Section 3 of 5:

Who are Ares’ favorite children?

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  1. Ares’ favorite children might be Phobos and Deimos. There are no myths that declare whether Ares actually has a favorite child, though. He does seem to favor Phobos and Deimos, as they’re his main attendants and accompany him to every battle. However, it’s clear that Ares loves all of his children: he protects them, fights alongside them, avenges them when they’re wronged, and grieves them when they die.
Section 4 of 5:

Children of Ares in Percy Jackson

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  1. Ares has many children, including Clarisse La Rue and Sherman Yang. Ares has fathered many kids in the Percy Jackson universe, and has his own cabin at Camp Half-Blood where his demigod children train. His children have his incredible fighting skills (making them some of the best warriors in the series) and share his hot-headedness and love for battle. Some of the notable children of Ares include:
    • Clarisse La Rue: Clarisse is the head of Ares’ Cabin at Camp Half-Blood when Percy first arrives. She bullies him (and it’s no secret Ares doesn’t like Percy), but in later books the two become friends.
    • Sherman Yang: Sherman becomes the head of Ares’ Cabin when Clarisse leaves for college. He plays a bit of a role in The Trials of Apollo series.
    • Ellis Wakefield: Ellis is a minor character who appears in The Trials of Apollo series.
    • Note: Ares has also fathered children as his Roman form, Mars. Most notably, he’s the father of Frank Zhang, who’s a demigod at Camp Jupiter. He joins Percy on his adventures in The Heroes of Olympus series and shows up in The Trials of Apollo series.
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Section 5 of 5:

Who are Ares’ parents?

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  1. Ares is the...
    Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Zeus is the king of the gods and the god of the sky, thunder, and weather. He’s married to his sister, Hera, who’s the queen of the gods and goddess of marriage, women, and families. Together, the two had Ares, as well as his siblings Hephaestus (Olympian and god of fire and blacksmiths), Hebe (the goddess of youth and the cupbearer for the Olympians), and Eileithyia (the goddess of childbirth).[18]

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  • According to mythology, Ares had many more mortal children. Some of his other children include Ascalaphus and Ialmenus (twins who fight in the Trojan War), Lycastus and Parrhasius (leaders of Arcadia, who may have inspired Romulus and Remus), Lycus (king of Libya), Molus (an Aetolian royal), and Phlegyas (king of the Lapiths).
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Deimos.html
  2. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Deimos.html
  3. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Harmonia.html
  4. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/ErosAnteros.html
  5. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Eros.html
  6. ↑ Julia VanderHoeven. Greek and Roman Mythology Expert. Expert Interview
  7. ↑ Julia VanderHoeven. Greek and Roman Mythology Expert. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ Maria Souza. Comparative Mythologist. Expert Interview
  9. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Nike.html
  1. ↑ https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/greeks-vs-amazons
  2. ↑ https://www.worldhistory.org/Hippolyta/
  3. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/articles/what-were-the-12-labors-of-hercules/
  4. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aglauros
  5. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Heros/KyknosItonios.html
  6. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Heros/DiomedesThrakios.html
  7. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GigantesAgriosOreios.html
  8. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/AresLoves.html#Aerope
  9. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hera.html

About This Article

Julia VanderHoeven
Co-authored by:
Julia VanderHoeven
Greek and Roman Mythology Expert
This article was co-authored by Julia VanderHoeven and by wikiHow staff writer, Devin McSween. Julia VanderHoeven is a Greek and Roman mythology and ancient history scholar. Julia is known as @museofmythology on Instagram, where she shares engaging and informative insights on mythology and history, with particular interest in Greek and Roman myths, and their influences on pop culture myths and memes. She has undergraduate degrees in French and Ancient World studies, a diploma in Latin, and a Master’s degree in Classics from Trinity College - Dublin. She is most interested in Greek mythology, doing her thesis on a feminist reading of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Although Julia now specializes in AI and its modern use in the corporate world as a Technology Consultant, she remains passionate about ancient history and culture.
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Updated: March 17, 2026
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Categories: Paranormal Beliefs
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