Homer, Medea and Bhagavad-Gita

Throughout history, violence has been a matter of public fascination. Humans were determined to discover when the use of violence is appropriate by looking at the nature of the violence and the context in which it occurs. In the epic poem, Iliad, Homer uses the Achaean warrior, Achilles, to show the destructiveness of injured pride that, led by the self-centered need for glory, produces unimaginable rage. Euripides, in his tragedy, Medea, presents suppressed rage of …

…violence is regulated by the God and serves as a means to preserve harmony in the societies. However, the cruelty and numerous victims of many religious conflicts offer the evidence that many wars are primarily lead by egotism then by the love for God and perseverance of social order and peace. Since violence is inevitable, humans should try to use it as little as possible for their selfish desires so that the society can survive.