The Wager Between Love and War

Venus, getting into a quarrel with her husband Mars, once made a wager that she could beat him at war and, bellowing as loudly as a hundred cannons with laughter at the thought that a mere woman could ever defeat him, Mars accepted her wager.

Then Venus took control of a city, named Cytheros, and its people and Mars took power over the neighbouring and rival city of Bellios and, for years (though mere minutes to the gods), a terrible and brutal war was waged between the two nations.

And, under the influence of Mars, the rulers of Bellios made military conscription compulsory for both men and women and invested heavily in weaponry and building huge and terrifying engines of war .

However, the people of Cytheros under the influence of Venus and her son Eros, spent most of their time making love and having children.

Now, of course, you might assume that, since Mars placed so much importance upon his armies and weaponry that, surely  he won the war and the wager, right?

But, much to the War Gods surprise, as the war progressed, the population of Cytheros quadrupled while the population of Bellios dwindled (because its men and women spent more time fighting than making love) and, eventually, the people of Cytheros so outnumbered the people of Bellios that they over threw the war gods city with ease.

So, reluctantly, stamping his feet and roaring, with steam bursting from both his ears like two volcanoes and an outraged scowl upon his bright red face which made Venus giggle delightedly, Mars was forced to admit defeat, remarking that, “This was a war that was won by the womb and not by the sword”.