# Mars — The City of God character guide > Mars in The City of God by Augustine of Hippo. **Role:** minor **Also known as:** Venus, Venus or Mars **First appearance:** 0002-part-i-book-i ## Who they are Roman god of war, often paired with Venus in discussions of pagan morality. ## In the story ### [Chapter XV: That it was vanity, not reason, which created some of the Roman gods.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xv) Reputed father of Romulus, given a flamen likely for Romulus' sake. ### [Book III: External Calamities and the Failure of the Pagan Gods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-book-iii) Goddess of love, mother of Aeneas, involved in adultery with Anchises. ### [Book III: External Calamities and the Failure of the Pagan Gods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-book-iii) God of war, claimed as father of Romulus. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-iii) Goddess who committed adultery with Anchises, mother of Aeneas. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-iii) God who allegedly fathered Romulus, contrasted with Venus's adultery. ### [Chapter V: The Inconsistency of the Gods' Anger at Adultery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-v) God of war, alleged father of Romulus through adultery. ### [Chapter V: The Inconsistency of the Gods' Anger at Adultery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-v) Goddess of love, mother of Aeneas, involved in adultery with Anchises. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xiii) Implied as unable to assist the Romans in obtaining wives equitably. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xiii) Implied through Bellona, the goddess of war, as the true patron of these nuptials. ### [Of the temple of Concord, which was erected by a decree of the senate on the scene of these seditions and massacres.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxv) Implied as the goddess who received the golden apple, leading to the rape of Helen and the destruction of Troy. ### [Chapter X: The Absurdity of Assigning Multiple Gods to Different Parts of the World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-x) Mentioned as being conflated with Vesta, and as having multiple forms (virgin, wife, harlot); her relationship with Vulcan and Mars is referenced. ### [Concerning Felicity, whom the Romans, who venerate many gods, for a long time did not worship with divine honour, though she alone would have sufficed instead of all.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxiii) One of the gods who refused to give place to Jupiter when the Capitol was built. ### [Of the falsity of the augury by which the strength and stability of the Roman empire was considered to be indicated](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxix) Roman god of war, associated with the Roman nation; the augury claimed he would not yield to Jove. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxii) Mentioned as a pagan god the Romans believed helped them win wars quickly. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xiv) Pagan god of war, dismissed by Augustine as a false god with no real divine substance. ### [Concerning certain stars which the pagans have called by the names of their gods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xv) Associated with the brightest star, Lucifer; also identified with the moon. ### [Concerning certain stars which the pagans have called by the names of their gods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xv) A star named after him, considered a part of the world due to the star. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-vii) Mentioned as a god whose name is used in poetical fictions to describe a demon. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-x) Mars is the subject of the fable concerning the Areopagus, accused of homicide and judged by twelve gods. ### [Of the kings of Latium, the first and twelfth of whom, Aeneas and Aventinus, were made gods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-xxi) God believed to be the father of Romulus and Remus. ### [That All Marvels Are Not of Nature's Production, but That Some Are Due to Human Ingenuity and Others to Diabolic Contrivance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-vi) Pagan goddess associated with the temple containing the inextinguishable lamp, used as an example of demonic manifestation. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/characters/mars - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/characters