Introduction

Abstract

This book examines three ancient Greek myths—Homer's Iliad, Euripides' Hecuba, and Sophocles' Ajax—to illustrate the costs of rage and identify crucial prerequisites for the nonviolent resolution of conflicts. Performed publicly as epic songs or tragic plays, ancient Greek myths expose tyranny and violence as universal toxins capable of destroying both perpetrator and victim. They emphasize the self-destructiveness of rage and undermine the traditional equation of vengeance with justice, but they also remind their audiences that human beings have better options for dealing with one another. The book analyzes the critique of rage in Iliad, which addresses the misuse of power and questions the utility of vengeance, and Hecuba and Ajax, both of which commend verbal persuasion over physical violence but also underscore the ambivalent potential of persuasive speech.