Augustus created the cult of " Mars the Avenger " to mark two occasions : his defeat of the assassins of Caesar at Philippi in 42 BC , and the negotiated return of the Roman battle standards that had been lost to the Parthians at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC . The god is depicted wearing a cuirass and helmet and standing in a " martial pose , " leaning on a lance he holds in his right hand . He holds a shield in his left hand . The goddess Ultio , a divine personification of vengeance , had an altar and golden statue in his temple
assassins of Caesar
Assassination of Julius Caesar
Mars (mythology)