Martian metamorphoses : the planet Mars in ancient myth and religion

Earthlings have long been fascinated by the planet Mars. Well before modern science fiction speculated about advanced civilizations on Mars and the dire threat of invasion at the hands of little green men, the red planet was regarded as a malevolent agent of war, pestilence, and apocalyptic disaster. In an attempt to appease the capricious planet-god, ancient cultures offered it human sacrifices. What is there about this distant speck of light that could inspire such bizarre conceptions culminating in ritual murder? And how do we account for the fact that virtually identical beliefs will be found around the globe, in the New World as well as the Old? The present book will seek to address such questions.