We tend to a historical interpretation here.
I actually did a lot of the research on original ancient Greek attitudes to Eris a few years ago, when I had to take several modules in classical history and literature. And Eris was, historically, seen as a war goddess, among other things.
Eris, like Hermes, seems to have undergone several interpretations based on Greek cultural mores of the time. For example, as a Goddess of Competition (in her "good" aspect, according to Hesiod) would've actually been seen by most 7th and 6th century Greeks as bad, since they considered commerce as a dishonourable livelihood. The exception to this was Attica, which thrived on trade and where there is some evidence of Eris worship. Changes in how Hermes was viewed (changing from a pest-like King of Thieves to a god of communication, wits and commerce) happened in a similar place at a similar time.
Equally, the family to which Eris belonged were not exactly held in highest regard by the Greeks, either. Remember, Ares wasn't just a god of warfare, he was a god of bloody slaughter, a brooding and violent killer, quite unlike Athena, the goddess of rational, wise and prudent warfare. Eris' mythological association with him probably did not help improve her reputation outside of Attica, and the more popular Cult of Hermes quite likely vyed for worshippers that might have gone to Eris in places where she wasn't viewed so negatively. Also remember after the Peloponnesian Wars, the Athenians were not the most popular Greeks in all of Greece, and the Thirty Tyrants stamped down heavily on deviant approaches to worship, as their execution of Socrates seems to indicate. An Erisian cult would've been considered politically dangerous, if it was still active at that time (the proof we have of ancient Eris worship in the Greek mainland ONLY comes from the sixth century).
In Rome, she would've fared little better. The Roman Republic sneered quite openly at Greek culture, seeing it as inferior, indulgent and childish. A Dionysus based cult caused significant political turmoil at one point during the Republic's history, as I recall as well, which didn't improve this attitude to Greek culture. Things changed as the Republic moved towards Empire, Eris was likely equated with Bellona to nullify the more disruptive aspects of her nature and Romanize her.
I actually did a lot of the research on original ancient Greek attitudes to Eris a few years ago, when I had to take several modules in classical history and literature. And Eris was, historically, seen as a war goddess, among other things.
Eris, like Hermes, seems to have undergone several interpretations based on Greek cultural mores of the time. For example, as a Goddess of Competition (in her "good" aspect, according to Hesiod) would've actually been seen by most 7th and 6th century Greeks as bad, since they considered commerce as a dishonourable livelihood. The exception to this was Attica, which thrived on trade and where there is some evidence of Eris worship. Changes in how Hermes was viewed (changing from a pest-like King of Thieves to a god of communication, wits and commerce) happened in a similar place at a similar time.
Equally, the family to which Eris belonged were not exactly held in highest regard by the Greeks, either. Remember, Ares wasn't just a god of warfare, he was a god of bloody slaughter, a brooding and violent killer, quite unlike Athena, the goddess of rational, wise and prudent warfare. Eris' mythological association with him probably did not help improve her reputation outside of Attica, and the more popular Cult of Hermes quite likely vyed for worshippers that might have gone to Eris in places where she wasn't viewed so negatively. Also remember after the Peloponnesian Wars, the Athenians were not the most popular Greeks in all of Greece, and the Thirty Tyrants stamped down heavily on deviant approaches to worship, as their execution of Socrates seems to indicate. An Erisian cult would've been considered politically dangerous, if it was still active at that time (the proof we have of ancient Eris worship in the Greek mainland ONLY comes from the sixth century).
In Rome, she would've fared little better. The Roman Republic sneered quite openly at Greek culture, seeing it as inferior, indulgent and childish. A Dionysus based cult caused significant political turmoil at one point during the Republic's history, as I recall as well, which didn't improve this attitude to Greek culture. Things changed as the Republic moved towards Empire, Eris was likely equated with Bellona to nullify the more disruptive aspects of her nature and Romanize her.
