Mars was the Roman god of war and, in Roman legend, the father of the twins Romulus and Remus. Their mother was Rhea Silvia, a princess and Vestal Virgin, and the myth says Mars fathered the children before they were exposed and later rescued by a she-wolf.
The twins eventually founded Rome, although they quarreled over its location and leadership. Romulus killed Remus and became the city’s first king. Because Mars was presented as their divine father, he became especially important to Rome’s origin story and national identity. The Romans also honored him as a protector of agriculture and the state, not merely as a deity of battlefield violence.
Mars was identified with the Greek god Ares, but the two were not exact cultural equivalents. Mars held a far more central and respected position in Roman public religion. He was part of the Archaic Triad with Jupiter and Quirinus, and March—Martius, named for him—was traditionally the opening month of the Roman campaigning season. Roman soldiers also celebrated him in festivals such as the Equirria.