Fratricide is the murder of one brother by another, often used in literature to illustrate family rivalries and power struggles. It has ancient roots in mythology and history, such as the biblical story of Cain and Abel and the Ottoman Empire’s policy of executing or imprisoning siblings of a new sultan. Fratricide is also used to describe deaths from friendly fire in the military, which are considered accidental incidents.
Fratricide is the murder of one brother by another, although the term can also be used to describe a murder between brothers of either sex. The concept is steeped in ancient history and legend, and is often employed as a literary device to illustrate rivalries and power struggles within families. Once condoned by royalty in many parts of the world, fratricide is a form of murder and is charged as such in most legal systems.
The roots of the concept of fratricide go back to the first stories in human memory. In Roman mythology, the plan to build Rome was created by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. In the struggle to decide where to build the city, Remus is killed by his brother. This story echoes the biblical account of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. According to that story, Cain kills Abel out of jealousy after God scorns his offer.
William Shakespeare put the concept of fratricide to good use when he wrote Hamlet, in which the story is set in motion when Claudius kills his brother to take the throne. Pervading this world-famous Shakespearean tragedy is the repeated theme of the collapse of the human and natural world when a crime such as fratricide is committed. Like Roman and Biblical legends, Shakespeare focuses on the idea that jealousy and power are the corrupting forces that cause a sacred and pure sibling relationship to become fraught with danger and death.
The world of history is filled with true stories that resonate with ancient legends and themes. In the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire instituted a policy whereby all brothers and sometimes sisters of a new sultan were executed or imprisoned. As brutal as it sounds, fratricide has been a consistent and repeated theme of the royal succession. Since royal families are typically large dynasties intended to provide an intact line of succession, the presence of so many siblings could be dangerous for a reigning monarch.
The Civil War in America is often portrayed in a fratricidal context. There are many stories of brothers torn between the Confederacy and the Union, and even forced to fight each other on the battlefield. The idea of broken brotherhood is often used as a metaphor to describe the larger breakup in the still fledgling United States at the time.
Fratricide is also used to describe deaths from friendly fire in military organizations. Often, these deaths occur as a result of miscommunication or an accident and are a tragic and disturbing event for all involved. Military fratricide can occur in training or on active duty and is almost always considered an accidental incident rather than an indictable offence.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
