Ares had been surprised, when Zeus had informed him, that the gods had retreated from Earth for several mortal centuries.
But he was delighted, when he was told, that the divine break was ending.
"This is the dawn of a new age, my son", he said. "And I trust, that you will be there doing your duties, if not more."
"As usual!", Ares laughed, "And I think I'm puttin' Sparta further up my list! They're lookin' promising and I think they need a patron god again."
"All states in Hellas do", Zeus chuckled. "Apollon and I are reviving our oracles, Aphrodite's cult is expanding, Athena is instructing her city via dream oracles … and the Spartans will love you, Ares. Surely you will love them too: they're a culture after your heart. And I predict that in the future centuries Spartans and Athenians won't have the best relations, so I'm sure you will have some epic battles with Athena's people."
Ares' crimson eyes sparkled with delight.
"I fuckin' love this new era already!"
.
Over the first weeks after his homecoming, he had questioned everyone about what had gone down during his absence.
Most wasn't really interesting, but when Artemis informed him, that the Amazons were dwindling, she could tell that he was dying a little on the inside.
"I'm sorry", Artemis told him sadly, "I've done all I could. But it looks like they'll be gone within a few centuries."
"It doesn't matter anyhow", he sighed. "I'll be there for them till the end. That's what I promised Otrera on her deathbed."
Artemis nodded.
She remembered the first Amazon queen and how much Ares had loved her – he had even gone so far as to enter a semi-marriage with her (the closest Ares had ever got to being married, as marriages between gods and mortals weren't acknowledged as such). And how could he be blamed; Otrera had been an exceptional woman. The kind of exceptional you would only meet once a few centuries.
"Can I tell you something, Artemis?", Ares asked suddenly.
"Sure, that's what friends are for, right?"
"Okay … I don't think I'll ever have mortal children again."
That made her blink. "Ares, are you sure about that? Knowing you, you'll still fall in love with mortals in the future and that stuff just happens. Besides, didn't you always love being a dad?"
"Sure", Ares nodded, "I love my divine children and I loved my mortal ones, every single one of them. Ya know, I still remember that Penthesileia's favourite colour was sky blue, that she had my eyes an' was one Tartaros of a little screamer as a newborn. Askalaphos was more of a mama's boy, brown eyes, brunet an' such and he really liked dancing, just like I do. Alkippe was more quiet and timid, she loved sittin' an' daydreamin' under the olive tree in Athena's temple in Athens. Hippolyta was so stoked, when I gave her that new girdle for her birthday. Nisos thought he looked really stupid with that magical purple curl I gave him to make him invincible. Diomedes was crazy about the horses I gave him. Kyknos had a terrible sweet tooth …"
"Ares, you're rambling."
He chuckled bitterly: "Right. Sorry. What I mean is just … it hurt to lose them. It hurt so much. Even if they were mortal and I knew they would inevitably die, having to see that and bein' unable to do anything about it … and look at the terrible things that happened to them! Penthesileia was slain by Akhilleus, Askalaphos fell when that bastard was busy being all butthurt in his tent and refusing to fight, Hippolyta, Diomedes and Kyknos were killed by Herakles, Nisos was betrayed by his own daughter and don't even get me started on what happened to Alkippe! She was never the same afterwards!¹ So few of my children got to live a happy, carefree life without havin' it taken away by some jackass. What's the point of having a kid, if you don't get to see it live happily, especially, when their life spans are so short? Ya know what I mean?"
Artemis couldn't relate, but she supposed that he had a point there. Besides, less sex was always good and turning a new page was even better.
"Well, I support you", she offered. "And not just because I'm a virgin goddess."
The war god chuckled and gave her a loose hug.
"Thanks, pal. You're a good friend."
Artemis laughed quietly, returned the hug and pat his back.
"You know, Ares, you're not half that bad of a friend yourself."
.
It was the time, which would later be known as the Archaic Period among humans.
The Olympians themselves called it the Age of Rebirth.
Which was as theatrical as they were, but not entirely wrong.
The gods were once again holding their hand over mankind and their worship rose anew.
They had introduced humans to the games they liked to play from time to time, thus inventing the Olympian Games.
Athena was busy these years. She was bringing arts, crafts and literature in Athens back into swing.
Hermes retaught the mortals how to write – a skill that had been largely forgot over the last centuries.
Apollon had dedicated himself to his music and the Delphic oracle, while the Mousai inspired poets, who would become very famous later on.
Ares was busying himself with Sparta, a Polis, which had always been warlike and now seemed to be levelling up. He was spreading his own philosophies (if they could even be called that). Sparta was beginning to expand over Lakodaimonia and already had conquered Kythera.
Aphrodite was worshipped as what she once had been: Aphrodite Areia, goddess of love, fertility and war, equivalent to Astarte and Inanna. She was proud of that, although Zeus had warned her, that soon most people would only see the love and beauty aspect of her.
Everything was new.
New empires were forming, coming to leave their mark in history.
The empires of old had fallen, most of their knowledge and traditions lost. Some would remain lost forever, some be found again one day, but that day was far, far ahead in the future.
Of all the empires of old, only Egypt was still there, however nothing was left of its former greatness. At least they hadn't forgot how to write – their traditions had remained.
The old times were only remembered in song and art, albeit mostly embellished and exaggerated.
It was a new age.
It was meant to be.
1) Alkippe was raped by Hallirhothios (in some sources he just attempted to, but Ares caught him), a son of Poseidon, who then was killed by the furious war god. Poseidon had Ares tried for the murder, but the other Olympians acquitted him of the murder.