alian tribes, who were mostly engaged in the pursuit of
husbandry, regarded this deity more especially as the god of spring, who
vanquished the powers of winter, and encouraged the peaceful arts of
agriculture. But with the Romans, who were an essentially warlike nation,
Mars gradually loses his peaceful character, and, as god of war, attains,
after Jupiter, the highest position among the Olympic gods. The Romans
looked upon him as their special protector, and declared him to have been
the father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of their city. But although
he was especially {115} worshipped in Rome as god of war, he still
continued to preside over agriculture, and was also the protecting deity
who watched over the welfare of the state.

As the god who strode with warlike step to the battlefield, he was called
Gradivus (from _gradus_, a step), it being popularly believed by the Romans
that he himself marched before them to battle, and acted as their invisible
protector. As the presiding deity over agriculture, he was styled Sylvanus,
whilst in his character as guardian of the state, he bore the name of
Quirinus.[45]

The priests of Mars were twelve in number, and were called Salii, or the
dancers, from the fact that sacred dances, in full armour, formed an
important item in their peculiar ceremonial. This religious order, the
members of which were always chosen from the noblest families in Rome, was
first instituted by Numa Pompilius, who intrusted to their special charge
the Anciliae, or sacred shields. It is said that one morning, when Numa was
imploring the protection of Jupiter for the newly-founded city of Rome, the
god of heaven, as though in answer to his prayer, sent down an oblong
brazen shield, and, as it fell at the feet of the king, a voice was heard
announcing that on its preservation depended the future safety and
prosperity of Rome. In order, therefore, to lessen the chances of this
sacred treasure being abstracted, Numa caused eleven more to be made
exactly like it, which were then given into the care of the Salii.

The assistance and protection of the god of war was always solemnly invoked
before the departure of a Roman army for the field of battle, and any
reverses of fortune were invariably ascribed to his anger, which was
accordingly propitiated by means of extraordinary sin-offerings and
prayers.

In Rome a field, called the Campus Martius, was dedicated to Mars. It was a
large, open space, in