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Let them ask, then, whether it is quite fitting for good men to
rejoice in extended empire. For the iniquity of those with whom just
wars are carried on favors the growth of a kingdom, which would
certainly have been small if the peace and justice of neighbors had not
by any wrong provoked the carrying on of war against them; and human
affairs being thus more happy, all kingdoms would have been small,
rejoicing in neighborly concord; and thus there would have been very
many kingdoms of nations in the world, as there are very many houses of
citizens in a city. Therefore, to carry on war and extend a kingdom
over wholly subdued nations seems to bad men to be felicity, to good
men necessity. But because it would be worse that the injurious should
rule over those who are more righteous, therefore even that is not
unsuitably called felicity. But beyond doubt it is greater felicity to
have a good neighbor at peace, than to conquer a bad one by making
war. Your wishes are bad, when you desire that one whom you hate or
fear should be in such a condition that you can conquer him. If,
therefore, by carrying on wars that were just, not impious or
unrighteous, the Romans could have acquired so great an empire, ought
they not to worship as a goddess even the injustice of foreigners? For
we see that this has cooperated much in extending the empire, by making
foreigners so unjust that they became people with whom just wars might
be carried on, and the empire increased And why may not injustice, at
least that of foreign nations, also be a goddess, if Fear and Dread
and Ague have deserved to be Roman gods? By these two, therefore,
that is, by foreign injustice, and the goddess Victoria, for
injustice stirs up causes of wars, and Victoria brings these same wars
to a happy termination, the empire has increased, even although Jove
has been idle. For what part could Jove have here, when those things
which might be thought to be his benefits are held to be gods, called
gods, worshipped as gods, and are themselves invoked for their own
parts? He also might have some part here, if he himself might be
called Empire, just as she is called Victory. Or if empire is the
gift of ove, why may not victory also be held to be his gift? And it
certainly would have been held to be so, had he been recognized and
worshipped, not as a stone in the Capitol, but as the true King of
kings and Lord of lords.
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