The Complete Works of Montesquieu. Electronic Edition. :: Volume I. ::

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Volume I.

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book I.: of laws in general.

book II.: of laws directly derived from the nature of government.

book III.: of the principles of the three kinds of government.

book IV.: that the laws of education ought to be relative to the principles of government.

book V.: that the laws, given by the legislator, ought to be relative to the principle of government.

book VI.: consequences of the principles of different governments with respect to the simplicity of civil and criminal laws, the form of judgements, and the inflicting of punishments.

book VII.: consequences of the different principles of the three governments, with respect to sumptuary laws, luxury, and the condition of women.

book VIII.: of the corruption of the principles of the three governments.

book IX.: of laws, in the relation they bear to a defensive force.

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book X.: of laws, in the relation they bear to offensive force.

chap. I.: of offensive force.

chap. II.: of war.

chap. III.: of the right of conquest.

chap. IV.: some advantages of a conquered people.

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chap. V.: gelon, king of syracuse.

chap. VI.: of conquests made by a republic.

chap. VII.: the same subject continued.

chap. VIII.: the same subject continued.

chap. IX.: of conquests made by a monarchy.

chap. X.: of one monarchy that subdues another.

chap. XI.: of the manners of a conquered people.

chap. XII.: of a law of cyrus.

chap. XIII.: charles XII.

chap. XIV.: alexander.

chap. XV.: new methods of preserving a conquest.

chap. XVI.: of conquests made by a despotic prince.

chap. XVII.: the same subject continued.

book XI.: of the laws which establish political liberty, with regard to the constitution.

book XII.: of the laws that form political liberty, as relative to the subject.

book XIII.: of the relation which the levying of taxes and the greatness of the public revenues have to liberty.

book XIV.: of laws as relative to the nature of the climate.

book XV.: in what manner the laws of civil slavery are relative to the nature of the climate.

book XVI.: how the laws of domestic slavery have a relation to the nature of the climate.

book XVII.: how the laws of political servitude have a relation to the nature of the climate.

book XVIII.: of laws in the relation they bear to the nature of the soil.

book XIX.: of laws, in relation to the principles which form the general spirit, the morals, and customs, of a nation.

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The Complete Works of Montesquieu. Electronic Edition.

Volume I.

Body

BOOK X.: OF LAWS, IN THE RELATION THEY BEAR TO OFFENSIVE FORCE.

CHAP. V.: Gelon, King of Syracuse.

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CHAP. V.: Gelon, King of Syracuse.

THE noblest treaty of peace ever mentioned in history is, in my opinion, that which Gelon made with the Carthaginians. He insisted upon their abolishing the custom of sacrificing their children ^†288. Glorious indeed! After having defeated three hundred thousand Carthaginians, he required a condition that was advantageous only to themselves; or, rather, he stipulated in favour of human nature.

The Bactrians exposed their aged fathers to be devoured by large mastiffs: a custom suppressed by Alexander Strabo, lib. 2. ^†289, whereby he obtained a signal triumph over superstition.

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CHAP. V.: Gelon, King of Syracuse.