Who is Phobos?
Phobos is the ancient Greek god of fear and panic. He is the son of Ares (the god of war) and Aphrodite (the goddess of love), and he often went into battle with his twin brother Deimos, who represents dread and terror.
What is the power of Phobos?
Phobos has the power to make people feel intense fear and panic. He can strike fear into the hearts of both soldiers and civilians during battle.
Where does the god Phobos come from?
Phobos comes from Greece and Greek mythology. He was born on Mount Olympus to his parents Ares and Aphrodite.
When did Phobos appear in Greek mythology?
Phobos first appeared in Greek mythology around the 8th century BCE. Homer mentioned him in the Iliad, where he appears on Agamemnon’s shield.
Why was Phobos feared?
Phobos was feared because he could make people feel overwhelming panic. Soldiers believed his presence in battle meant certain defeat.
How did Phobos influence the outcomes of battles in Greek mythology?
Phobos influenced battles by making enemy armies panic and run away. He rode into battle with his father Ares and brother Deimos, spreading fear that could turn the tide of war.
Table of Contents
Born of War and Love: The Origins of Phobos
Phobos was the child of two powerful gods: Ares, the fierce god of war, and Aphrodite, the beautiful goddess of love. He had a twin brother named Deimos, who was the god of terror.
This mix of war and love as parents fits well with how fear works in battles and relationships—it touches both our hearts and our will to fight.
Just as fear and terror gripped soldiers in battle, love could inspire its own kind of dread. Lovers feared loss, rejection, or betrayal, making Phobos just as present in matters of the heart as he was in war.[1]
But it was at war where Phobos and Deimos truly shined. The two brothers were always by their father’s side during battle, riding on his chariot, which was pulled by four immortal horses called the Hippoi Areioi.
When armies met in battle, Phobos and Deimos would ride with their father Ares in his war chariot. While Ares brought the violence of war, his sons brought the fear that made soldiers lose their courage.
Their presence reminded soldiers that war wasn’t just about physical strength but also the psychological toll it took. This connection between Phobos’s lineage and the horrors of war made him a powerful and feared figure in Greek mythology.
Role in Greek Mythology
To the Greeks, Phobos was more than just a god. He was the embodiment of trepidation. Warriors often invoked him to strike fear into their enemies, believing his presence would cause confusion and weaken their resolve.
In Homer’s Iliad, Phobos is mentioned as part of Ares’s retinue during the Trojan War. [2] When Ares charged into battle, Phobos and his brother Deimos followed, creating chaos among the ranks of both the Greeks and Trojans. Their presence caused soldiers to lose their composure, making them easier to defeat.
Hesiod’s Shield of Heracles also features Phobos, where he is depicted as a terrifying image carved onto Heracles’s shield.[3] The image itself was said to paralyze opponents with fear, giving Heracles an advantage before the fight even began.
While Deimos amplified the terror of physical destruction, Phobos struck at the minds of soldiers, shattering their courage. Together, they ensured that fear was not just a consequence of war but a weapon in its own right.
Depictions of Phobos: Appearance, Symbols, and Powers
The Greeks showed Phobos as a strong young god with a scary, grimacing, lion-like face that could freeze enemies with fear.[4]
In art, he often appeared next to his father Ares’s shield, which had his frightening face carved on it. Ancient writers said his eyes glowed like fire, and his teeth were sharp like a wild animal’s.
In Homer’s Iliad, where he described him as a force that could make even the bravest of men turn and run. He was so powerful that just his name could make people feel afraid—in fact, our word phobia comes from his name.
Unlike gods who could do many different things, Phobos was a master of one specific power—fear. This wasn’t just regular fear, but a panic so strong it could make entire armies drop their weapons and run away.
Phobos in War and Culture
Ancient Greeks mainly showed Phobos through symbols rather than as a full person.
The most famous example of Phobos as a symbol comes from Agamemnon’s shield in Homer’s Iliad. The shield had Phobos’s face in the center, surrounded by images of Deimos (Terror) and Enyo (Battle-Rage), a war goddess who in some accounts is recorded as Ares’s twin sister.
Greek soldiers copied this idea, putting Phobos’s face on their own armor and shields. They believed these images would both protect them and scare their enemies.
Unlike many other gods who had temples and statues, Phobos was mostly shown on shields and armor. Soldiers would paint his face on their battle gear to scare their enemies.
Just knowing his face was on an enemy’s shield could make soldiers afraid. The Greeks thought that speaking his name could bring fear, which is why they were careful about when and how they talked about him.
Phobos’s Legacy in Modern Times
Today, Phobos lives on in our everyday language—most clearly in the word phobia, which means an extreme fear of something. When doctors talk about phobias, they’re using a term that harkens back to this ancient god of fear.
Popular books and games still tell Phobos’s story. He shows up in series such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books and video games like God of War: Ascension, where he keeps his role as a fearsome god of panic.
In 1877, astronomers discovered two moons orbiting Mars and named them Phobos and Deimos. They chose these names because Mars is the Roman name for Ares, so it made sense to name the moons after his sons.
Phobos’s Place Among the Divine
Phobos’s interactions with other Greek gods were primarily tied to his role in warfare as well as his familial connections.
He was a constant companion to Ares, amplifying the fear and chaos his father brought to battle. Unlike Athena, who represented strategic warfare and wisdom, Phobos embodied raw, unrelenting panic, offering no comfort or rationality.
Similarly, while his mother Aphrodite symbolized love and beauty, Phobos stood in stark contrast as an unappealing figure of horror.
Though not widely worshipped like the Olympians, Phobos had a notable presence in Sparta. According to Plutarch, they built a temple for Phobos near their mess hall, showing they saw fear differently from other Greeks.
The Spartans didn’t think of fear as something bad; instead, they believed fear helped keep their society strong. Young Spartan warriors would give offerings to Phobos before battle, not just to keep panic away from their own ranks, but because they thought respecting fear would help them be better warriors.
The God of Fear’s Influence on Mythology and Humanity
Phobos has left a lasting mark on mythology and humanity. His role in ancient Greek myth shows how fear has always been a part of our lives, especially in times of war. Today, his name lives on in our language and culture, reminding us that fear is a timeless and universal experience of humankind.
From the battlefields of ancient Greece to our modern understanding of phobias, Phobos continues to teach us about the power of fear.
References
- Greenberg Mike. July 7, 2020. “Phobos and Deimos: The Twin Spirits of Terror and Panic.” Mythology Source. https://mythologysource.com/phobos-deimos-greek-spirits/.
- The Center for Hellenic Studies. “Homeric Iliad.” Accessed January 29, 2025. https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/homeric-iliad-sb/.
- Poetry in translation. “Hesiod’s Shield of Heracles.” Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Greek/HesiodHeracles.php.
- Dalmaris Despena. June 10, 2020. “Phobos – Son of Ares.” Greece Through Despena’s Eyes. https://despena.gr/phobos-son-of-ares/.
- Attalus. “Plutarch: Life of Cleomenes.” Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.attalus.org/old/cleomenes1.html.