This explains the rapidity with which the conquered provinces became absorbed and Romanized, and how imperial Rome with its handful of legions was able to keep under control the immense populations of its enormous empire And if it is with some justification that later aspirations of certain warrior kings to conquer the world have been attributed to the splendor of the Roman conquests it should also be remembered that when the Republic declined and the Empire began it was Rome who gave the world the doctrine of the rights of man and of nations
One of the advocates of this doctrine was the philosopher and teacher Cicero who even prior to Alberico Gentili and Grotius18 sowed the first seeds of international law Cicero was against all wars unless they were absolutely unavoidable