Editing Discordia (section)

===Second-century BC&ndash;first-century AD===
The Roman poet [[Ennius]] seems to have been the first to introduce "loathsome Discord" (''Discordia taetra'') when, in his second-century BC epic ''[[Annales (Ennius)|Annales]]'', he describes Discordia as breaking open the "portals of War".<ref>Bernstein, p. 16; Bloch, [https://referenceworks-brill-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/display/entries/NPOE/e321400.xml s.v. Discordia]; [[Ennius]] ''[[Annales (Ennius)|Annales]]'' Book 7 [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/ennius-annals/2018/pb_LCL294.227.xml fr. 13] [= [[Horace]], ''[[Satires (Horace)|Satires]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/horace-satires/1926/pb_LCL194.53.xml1.4.60–62]]. Ennius' "portals of War" have been associated with the doors of the [[Temple of Janus (Roman Forum)|Temple of Janus]] (''Janus Geminus''), which were left open whenever Rome was at war, see notes to Ennius 7 [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/ennius-annals/2018/pb_LCL294.227.xml fr. 13.3], and ''Satires'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/horace-satires/1926/pb_LCL194.53.xml 1.4.62].</ref> [[Virgil]], in the ''[[Aeneid]]'' (first century BC), has "maddening Strife (''Discordia demens''), her snaky locks entwined with bloody ribbons" as one of the many terrible evils who reside at the entrance to his [[Orcus|Underworld]].<ref>Bernstein, p. 16; Bloch, [https://referenceworks-brill-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/display/entries/NPOE/e321400.xml s.v. Discordia]; [[Virgil]], ''[[Aeneid]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/virgil-aeneid/1916/pb_LCL063.553.xml 6.280].</ref>

Discordia was particularly associated with Roman internal conflict and civil war.<ref>Bernstein, pp. 16, 181 (which calls her "the personification of civil war"), see also Fantham, [https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195389579.003.0013 pp. 209&ndash;211].</ref> Like the Homeric [[Eris (mythology)|Eris]] in the ''[[Iliad]]'', who is one of the divinities active in the [[Trojan War]], Virgil makes Discordia one of the divine participants (as depicted on the prophetic [[Shield of Aeneas]]) at the [[Battle of Actium]], during the Roman civil war between [[Octavian]] and [[Mark Antony]].<ref>Hardie, p. 106; Bernstein, p. 16; Bloch, [https://referenceworks-brill-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/display/entries/NPOE/e321400.xml s.v. Discordia]; Smith, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DE%3Aentry+group%3D6%3Aentry%3Deris-bio-1 s.v. Eris].</ref> In a battle of gods, with "rent robe", Discordia "strides exultant":

{{blockquote|Monstrous gods of every form and barking Anubis wield weapons against Neptune and Venus and against Minerva. In the middle of the fray storms Mavors, embossed in steel, with the grim Furies from on high; and in rent robe Discord [''Discordia''] strides exultant, while Bellona follows her with bloody scourge.|[[Virgil]], ''[[Aeneid]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/virgil-aeneid/1916/pb_LCL064.109.xml 8.698&ndash;702]; translation by H. Rushton Fairclough, revised by G. P. Goold}}

Discordia, under the influence of Virgil, appears in the works of the four later first-century AD Roman epic poets [[Lucan]], [[Silius Italicus]], [[Statius]], and [[Valerius Flaccus (poet)|Valerius Flaccus]]. The word ''discordia'' (whether personified or not) appears seven times in Lucan's ''[[Pharsalia]]'', his epic poem about the decisive battle in [[Caesar's civil war]].<ref>Bernstein, p. 16.</ref> Silius, in his epic ''[[Punica]]'' about the [[Second Punic War]], begins his [[Battle of Cannae]] with Virgil's "maddening strife" (''Discordia demens'') invading heaven and forcing "the gods to fight".<ref>Bernstein, p. 16; [[Silius Italicus]], ''[[Punica (poem)|Punica]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/silius_italicus-punica/1934/pb_LCL278.23.xml 9.288&ndash;289].</ref> Statius involves Discordia (in the company of other personifications) in his ''[[Thebaid (Latin poem)|Thebaid]]'' concerning the fraternal war, for the kingship of [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]], between the two sons of [[Oedipus]], [[Eteocles]] and [[Polynices]].<ref>Bernstein, p. 16; [[Statius]], ''[[Thebaid (Latin poem)|Thebaid]]'' [https://archive.org/details/statiuswithengli02statuoft/page/8/mode/2up 5.76], [https://archive.org/details/statiuswithengli02statuoft/page/136/mode/2up 7.50].</ref> The ''Argonautica'', Valerius' epic poem about [[Jason]]'s search for the [[Golden Fleece]], where the theme of civil discord is pervasive,<ref>Krasne, p. 39, with n. 24; Sanderson, pp. 303&ndash;304.</ref> also mentions the goddess. In Book 2, Discordia, among other personifications, hurries to assist [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] ("the Martian consort") to incite the women of [[Lemnos]] to make (civil) war on their husbands:<ref>Bloch, [https://referenceworks-brill-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/display/entries/NPOE/e321400.xml s.v. Discordia].</ref>
{{Blockquote|Straightway Fear and insensate Strife [''Discordia''] from her Getic lair, dark-browed Anger with pale cheeks, Treachery, Frenzy and towering above the rest Death, her cruel hands bared, come hastening up at the first sound of the Martian consort's pealing voice that gave the signal.|[[Valerius Flaccus (poet)|Valerius Flaccus]], ''Argonautica'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/valerius_flaccus-argonautica/1934/pb_LCL286.87.xml 2.204]; translation by J. H. Mozley}}
Later in Book 6, Valerius, describing the crashing chariots of the warring [[Colchian]] brothers [[Aeetes]] and [[Perses (brother of Aeetes)|Perses]], has: "the curved blades doth discord [''discordia''] entangle and lacerate the panic-stricken cars", then goes on to liken the battle between the two brothers to Roman civil war.<ref>Bernstein, p. 16; [[Valerius Flaccus (poet)|Valerius Flaccus]], ''Argonautica'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/valerius_flaccus-argonautica/1934/pb_LCL286.331.xml 6.400&ndash;406]: "As when fierce Tisiphone stirs Roman legions and their princes to war, whose lines on either side glitter with the same eagles and spears".</ref> While preparing Jason for his encounter with the [[Colchis Bulls]],  [[Medea]] handing him his helm says: "take again this crested helm which Discord [''Discordia''] held but now in her death-bringing hand".<ref>[[Valerius Flaccus (poet)|Valerius Flaccus]], ''Argonautica'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/valerius_flaccus-argonautica/1934/pb_LCL286.395.xml 7.467&ndash;468].</ref>

Discordia is also mentioned in non-epic poetry, also often associated with Roman civil war. She makes an appearance in a civil war parody in [[Petronius]]'s ''[[Satyricon]]'' (late first century AD), where she is described as follows:<ref>Bernstein, p. 16.</ref>

{{blockquote|Discord [''Discordia''] with disheveled hair raised her Stygian head up toward the gods of heaven. On her face blood had clotted, tears ran from her bruised eyes, her teeth covered in rusty scales were eaten away, her tongue was dripping with decaying matter, her face beset with snakes, beneath her torn clothes her breasts writhed, and in her bloody hand she waved a quivering torch.|[[Petronius]], ''[[Satyricon]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/petronius-satyricon/2020/pb_LCL015.357.xml 124.271&ndash;277]; translation by Gareth Schmeling}}

Urging all to war&mdash;in particular several notable figures in Caesar's civil war: [[Julius Caesar]], [[Pompey the Great]], [[Gaius Claudius Marcellus (consul 49 BC)|Marcellus]], [[Gaius Scribonius Curio (tribune 50 BC)|Curio]], [[Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus|Lentulus]]&mdash;Discordia:
{{Blockquote|spewed forth these words from her maddened breast: ‘All nations, take up arms now and fill your hearts with fire, take up arms, and hurl torches into the hearts of cities. Whoever hides from the fray will be lost; let no woman delay, no child, no man wasted by old age; let the earth itself quake and the shattered houses join the fight. You, Marcellus, uphold the law. You, Curio, stir up the rabble crowds. You, Lentulus, do not slow down the god of war. You, divine Caesar, why are you a laggard in your arms, why do you not break down the gates, why do you not strip the towns of their walls, and seize their treasures? You, Pompey the Great, do you not know how to defend Rome's citadels? So, seek out the alien walls of Epidamnus, and stain red the bays of Thessaly with human blood.’ All was done on earth, just as Discord ordered it.|[[Petronius]], ''[[Satyricon]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/petronius-satyricon/2020/pb_LCL015.357.xml 124.282&ndash;295]; translation by Gareth Schmeling}}