Bold-hearted Ares, bright-helmed son of thundering Zeus
and noble Hera, well-honored god of war,
any battle will you face, any foe will you fight,
without fear and without hestitation. Ares,
god of warriors, ally of those who risk their lives
on the field, to you do soldiers offer their prayers.
You know each one’s name, O Ares, you know their lives,
you know their worth. Great Ares, I pray to you,
watch over ____________ who heeded your call,
who practices your art, whose name you know well,
for s/he is one of your own who does you honor
with each day s/he serves. Ares, I pray to you.

Bright-helmed Ares, strong of arm and stern of visage,
firm of stance, unyielding of will, ever ready
to face any foe, to hold the line against
all who may come, to battle until the end.
Ares, son of noble Zeus and wise Hera,
cherished by golden Aphrodite, honored
by those who call on you for strength and courage,
in the north were you much honored in times of old,
in Thrace and Thessaly were you held in esteem
by those whose lives were harsh, whose world was stony,
whose comforts were hard-won. Ares who answers
the prayers of the despairing, I honor you.

Ares, fierce-hearted son of Zeus and noble Hera,
full-famed you are as god of war. To you do soldiers
pray when battle is most heated, when mettle
is most needed. To you as well do we turn
in desperate times, to you do we call for strength,
for the spirit to endure. You understand the terror
of struggle and strife, you confront it in every way.
Ares, your courage is unquestioned, your might
and your prowess unequaled. Ares, friend to those
in direst need, I pray to you, grant me the nerve
to face what must be faced, grant me the will to do
what must be done, grant me the heart to forge ahead.

Ares, bright-armored bearer of spear and shield,
son of noble Zeus and wise and watchful Hera,
beloved of deep-hearted Aphrodite,
father of fear, father of sweet harmony,
in all the realms no one knows more the depths
and heights to which necessity may drive mankind.
Fair of form you are, O Ares, strong of arm
and fleet of foot, clever in the ways of strife,
ever-wary defender of the city gate,
granter of the sense that keeps safe the soldier,
holder of the hearts of those in direst need.
Dear to you are war dogs and carrion-birds,
beasts that feed on blood and carnage, that
flourish in the barren fields of battle. Ares,
saviour of cities, shaker of spears, bright-helmed
one who lends strength to the weak, courage to the fearful,
will to the clouded and vengeance to the wronged,
I thank you for your gifts, I honor your calling.

Fierce-hearted Ares, crafty master of battle,
lord of war, spirit of war, leader of men,
inspirer of deeds, stormer of stone-walled cities,
with mighty arm you brandish the spear, you shake the shield.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Ares, destroyer of men, fearsome one who stalks
the battlefield, who holds the ruddy standard of war;
insatiate you are of battle and of blood.
In your name do men do what is base, what is needful.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Stalwart Ares, strong of heart and firm of will,
stout of arm and great of spirit, your mettle
undoubted, your vigor unequaled. Of nerve
and of courage you know much, O god who endures.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Ares who stands between the weak and the strong,
who stands before the gates, tirelessly, endlessly,
defender of cities, protector of homes,
Ares who holds off the hordes of chaos, kind one,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Brave Ares, granter of strength to the weak, courage
to the meek, voice to the silent, will to the timid,
hope and raw grit to those whose cause seems lost. Ares,
who knows the worth of those whose back is to the wall,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Ares, courageous one, strong of arm, quick of wit,
swift to respond to any danger, any threat,
on the battleground you stand, unyielding god.
As fields of blood turn to fields of flowers,
you hold the fallen ever dear, each name you know,
each lost life you honor. Well honored in Thrace
and in Scythia, your golden helm shines bright,
your sharp sword cuts down the foe with cunning craft.
To the soldier in peril you grant your strength;
to those living in fear you grant the will to fight
or to flee; to those who struggle you grant the
heart’s fire that forges ambition, that forms victory.
Ares, upholder of the might of men, companion
of those who make war and those who defend
home and family, in trenches and in tanks,
on the grounds of battle and of burial, you are there.
Ares, brave one, bloody one, leader of men
who does what must be done, I praise and honor you.

I call to Ares, strong one, swift one, clever one,
god of the impulse, god of the moment,
god of the hunch and the quick reaction,
god of the battle, god of the fight. Ares,
son of thundering Zeus and dark-eyed Hera,
few were your temples, few were your shrines, for those
who held you dearest had a grave need indeed
for your favor–the field of battle was your temple,
the blood of the slain a final offering.
From the north you came, O bold-spirited Ares;
in far-flung Thrace you made your home,
the Spartans and the men of Macedon revered you.
Ares, granter of courage, granter of strength,
granter of the will to endure, friend of the wronged
and of the vengeful, O Ares, I call to you.

Ares, warrior, soul of survival,
quick-thinking, quick-striking son of great Zeus,
your sword ever sharp, your shield ever ready,
your keen eyes ever wary, ever watchful,
ever vigilant, ever guarding
against any enemy, any danger.
Ares, efficient one, practical one,
a club or a stiletto at need;
the deft strategic mind is yours, war-god,
as much as the unthinking rage of battle,
the brutality, the sweat and the mud,
the pure drive to defend home and family.
Ares, lover of fair Aphrodite,
master of life-sustaining passions,
Ares, mighty one, I praise and honor you.