Abhorring War, Yearning for Peace

Abstract

This chapter offers a broad survey over the quest for peace in the ancient world. It presents five brief case studies to support one thesis: ancient or early societies began to think seriously and intensely about peace primarily, perhaps even only, when an extraordinary experience of war that vastly and excruciatingly surpassed their normal expectations forced such thoughts upon them. The chapter pursues the question of what approaches may help us find evidence for concerns with peace in ancient societies, and establishes the following points. First, wars in the ancient world were ubiquitous and brutal. Second, despite this uncontestable fact, visions of peace were widespread, even in imperial societies. Third, such visions crystallized in the religious sphere as well and found expression, in specific circumstances, in cults of peace. Fourth, in some societies peace was also an intense intellectual concern that in rare cases even influenced the practice of politics.