TY - CHAP
T1 - War, peace and interstate relations
AU - Vandorpe, Katelijn
AU - Démare-Lafont, Sophie
AU - MacCormack, Geoffrey
AU - McClish, Mark
AU - Olivelle, Patrick
AU - Wiater, Nicolas
PY - 2024/5
Y1 - 2024/5
N2 - Chapter 4 surveys a wide range of friendly and hostile interstate relations in ancient societies, where war was often the normal state of affairs. Notwithstanding the numerous conflicts, polities tried in the end, through alliances and diplomatic relations, to establish peaceful relations in view of political stability and economic prosperity. The chapter analyses hospitality rules regarding foreigners, treaties between polities and the establishment of diplomatic relations, which emerged as an international system in the ancient Near East during the mid-fourteenth century BCE. An alternative to diplomacy in conflict management, typical of the Greek world, was arbitration and mediation with the help of a third party. In a final section, the chapter outlines how states, when diplomacy failed, started a war procedurally. In conclusion, the chapter argues that, in the absence of an international court, the enforcement of diplomatic rules and treaties was in many ancient societies ensured by the supranational authority of the gods.
AB - Chapter 4 surveys a wide range of friendly and hostile interstate relations in ancient societies, where war was often the normal state of affairs. Notwithstanding the numerous conflicts, polities tried in the end, through alliances and diplomatic relations, to establish peaceful relations in view of political stability and economic prosperity. The chapter analyses hospitality rules regarding foreigners, treaties between polities and the establishment of diplomatic relations, which emerged as an international system in the ancient Near East during the mid-fourteenth century BCE. An alternative to diplomacy in conflict management, typical of the Greek world, was arbitration and mediation with the help of a third party. In a final section, the chapter outlines how states, when diplomacy failed, started a war procedurally. In conclusion, the chapter argues that, in the absence of an international court, the enforcement of diplomatic rules and treaties was in many ancient societies ensured by the supranational authority of the gods.
KW - Hospitality rules
KW - Interstate relations
KW - Diplomacy
KW - Treaties
KW - Natural law
KW - Arbitration
KW - Just war
KW - Declaration of war
KW - Peace
KW - Divine authority
UR - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009452243
UR - https://discover.libraryhub.jisc.ac.uk/search?q=isn%3A%209781009452243&rn=1
U2 - 10.1017/9781009452243.005
DO - 10.1017/9781009452243.005
M3 - Chapter
SN - 9781107035164
SP - 146
EP - 180
BT - Cambridge comparative history of ancient law
A2 - Humfress, Caroline
A2 - Ibbetson, David
A2 - Olivelle, Patrick
PB - Cambridge University Press
CY - Cambridge
ER -