["mar-"s] mars, as a central figure in roman mythology and culture, is consistently depicted as both a divine progenitor and a symbol of martial valor, underscoring rome's foundational identity and its destiny for dominance. livys "history of rome" establishes this connection early, noting that the romans claim of descent from mars legitimizes their sovereignty: > such is the renown of the roman people in war, that when they represent mars, in particular, as their own parent and that of their founder, the nations of the world may submit to this as patiently as they submit to their sovereignty (preface, para. 2). this divine lineage begins with rhea silvia, the mother of romulus and remus, who declared mars as the father of her twins, either because she believed it to be so, or because a god was a more creditable author of her offence (bk. 1, sec. 4). this assertion not only elevates romes founders but also entwines marss identity with romes inception, providing divine justification for its martial ethos. this foundational myth is complemented by mars' role in religious and civic life. livy describes the institution of the salii, priests of mars gradivus, who carried the sacred shields called ancilia and performed ceremonial dances and songs. these rites were designed to maintain the citys favor with its divine protector: > he selected twelve salii for mars gradivus [...] and commanded them to carry the celestial shields called ancilia, and to go through the city singing songs, with leaping and solemn dancing (bk. 1, sec. 20). livy notes that > a field belonging to them, which lay between the city and the tiber, having been consecrated to mars, has been called the campus martius (bk. 2, sec. 5).
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