Riess (classics, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) defines violence narrowly for the purposes of this study, excluding the political realm, myth and tragedy, violence against animals (e.g.
religious sacrifice), and sports and war. That leaves interpersonal violence, which this study explores by examining various kinds of theatrical and ritual frameworks. These frameworks--the
source material for "violence discourse" (the author's words)--include court records, speeches, plays, and "curse tablets," which the author describes as "judicial spells cast on adversaries
before trials." He discusses how these ritualized performances served both to communicate and validate violent impulses and at the same time served "...to restrain the most serious forms of
violence without creating what we would consider a pacified society." Annotation 穢2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
