ABSTRACT
The just-war tradition is an amalgamation of Western thought on war. Theologians, philosophers, statesmen, and soldiers have contributed to this tradition, which continues today in the teaching of many churches and in the codes of International law. This chapter highlights the development of this tradition by surveying the concepts of some of its more significant architects, including Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Bonet, Victoria, Suarez, Grotius, and Locke. A great deal of history occurred between the two Romans, Cicero and Augustine. Cicero lived toward the end of Rome's period of expansion, at the height of the empire, whereas Augustine lived at its climax. In the intervening period the early church was essentially pacifistic. Augustine was primarily concerned with the "jus ad bellum" question of the Tightness of resorting to war. The influence of Augustine subsided until the twelfth century when his work became the principal source on war for Gratian's monumental canon-law compendium, known as the Decretum.
