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Ares is the Greek god of war. Early in Aeschylus’s play, the Chorus believes that Ares is on the side of the Persians, boasting that with support from “the archer Ares,” the Persians are “never defeated.” But after the Greeks thoroughly vanquish the Persians at the Battle of Salamis, the Persians change their minds about Ares. Xerxes in particular believes that Ares has shifted his allegiance to the Greeks, accusing Ares of being the “protector” of Greek ships, “their partisan in war.” This depiction of Ares as switching from the Persian side to the Greek side of the conflict underscores how the play serves as propaganda, making Greek victory seem as it if has been divinely ordained.
Ares Quotes in The Persians
The The Persians quotes below are all either spoken by Ares or refer to Ares . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Persians Quotes
CHORUS, ANTISTROPHE A: And the furious leader the herd
of populous Asia he drives,
wonderful over the earth,
and admirals stern and rough
marshals of men he trusts:
gold his descent from Perseus,
he is the equal of a god.
CHORUS, STROPHE B: In his eyes lazuli flashing
like a snake’s murderous glances,
with his mariners, warriors, many,
and his Syrian chariot driving,
hard on the glorious spearmen
the archer Ares he leads.
CHORUS, ANTISTROPHE B: To the great torrent of heroes
there is none worthily equal,
who resist, by defenses secured,
the unconquerable billows of ocean:
Persians are never defeated,
the people tempered and brave.
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Explanation and Analysis:
XERXES, STROPHE B (singing): Ionian Ares triumphed,
protector of their ships,
their partisan in war,
reaping gloomy flats of sea
and demon-haunted shores.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Ares Character Timeline in The Persians
The timeline below shows where the character Ares appears in The Persians. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Persians
...and some with arrows. The Chorus boasts that the Persians, backed by the war god Ares, are “never defeated” in battle.
(full context)
...the shores of Salamis. Xerxes blames himself for the carnage, but he also blames the Ares, the god of war, whom he feels acted as the Greek army’s “partisan” and “protector.”
(full context)
