[Dis-kawr-dee-uh] NOUN. SHOW IPA. /dIs'kor di@/PHONETIC RESPELLING. The Greek goddess Eris was recognized as the ancient Roman goddess of strife, Eris. She is also known by the names Discordia and Diska. Her most famous act is the distribution of unequal gifts between men and women after which she was thrown out of heaven by Zeus in a fit of rage. Before this event, however, she had caused considerable chaos by encouraging rivalry and disagreement among humans. Eris's behavior reflects the fact that humanity is naturally divided into opposing groups, with each group wanting to advance its own interests at the expense of others. Society therefore requires some mechanism for reducing conflict between these groups so they can live together in peace. The gift exchange ritual used by many cultures as a means of resolving disputes has been called "the world's oldest diplomacy." The idea of giving something up to someone as a way of expressing gratitude or wishing them a happy life goes back very far in time. It appears in the writings of many philosophers including Aristotle and Plato. But it was Eris who put it into practice by spreading hatred among humans which led to war and violence. This makes Discordia one of history's first terrorists.