fratricide

Fratricide is the act of killing one's brother. In broader usage, it can refer to the killing of a sister as well, since frater in Latin can denote a sibling. The term combines frater (brother) and -cide (killing). In modern military language, fratricide may describe the killing of one’s own forces, typically through misidentification or error, a form of friendly fire.

Legally, fratricide is treated as homicide, with penalties that vary by jurisdiction and circumstance. Some legal systems apply heightened scrutiny or harsher punishment when the victim is a close relative; others use standard homicide statutes. In religious and ethical discourse, it raises questions about jealousy, justice, and consequences. In myth and literature, fratricide often signals the fragility of social order and the costs of ambition.

Historically, acts of fratricide appear across cultures, especially in dynastic politics where brothers contest power. Prominent examples include Cain and Abel in the Bible, and Romulus killing his brother Remus in some versions of the Rome myth. These narratives explore kinship, guilt, and the breakdown of familial bonds.

Psychological explanations point to intense sibling rivalry, inheritance disputes, abuse, or personality disorders as risk factors for fratricide. In criminology, it is studied as a form of violent crime within the family, with broader implications for safety and policy. The term is distinct from patricide (killing one’s father), matricide (one’s mother), and sororicide (one’s sister).