Fratricide

The only known fratricides in the Roman Empire are Romulus killing Remus and the reasonably well-known murder of Geta on the orders of his brother Caracalla in 211.

The brothers had a fraught relationship enduring many years; upon their father Septimius Severus's death in February 211, they succeeded him as co-emperors.

In December of that year, Caracalla pretended to be holding a reconciliation in their mother Julia Domna's apartment when Geta was lured to come unarmed and unguarded.

There are many recorded fratricides in Persia, the most famous of which involving Cyrus the Great's sons Cambyses II and Bardiya, the former killing the latter.

This civil war lasted eight years and weakened the empire due to the casualties it inflicted and the division it sowed in Ottoman society.

As a result, Mehmed II formally legalized the practice of fratricide in order to preserve the state and not further place strain on the unity as previous civil wars did.

Mehmed II stated, "Of any of my sons that ascends the throne, it is acceptable for him to kill his brothers for the common benefit of the people (nizam-i alem).

The largest practice of fratricide was committed by Mehmed III when he had 19 of his brothers murdered and buried alongside their father.

The events in the Greek tragedy Antigone unfold due to the previous war between the princely brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, who killed each other in combat.