Belligerare et regnum dilatare sola bonos reges impellit necessitas
Augustine on War and Necessity
The author cites Augustine's City of God to argue that waging war and enlarging a kingdom can only be called good when done out of necessity.
That waging war and enlarging a kingdom should be called good only out of necessity is from the book of Augustine's City of God (Book IV, c. 15.)
Necessity for the Good, Happiness for the Wicked
War and conquest appear as happiness to the wicked but as necessity to the good.
Waging war and enlarging a kingdom once the nations have been subdued seems happiness to the wicked, but necessity to the good.
Why the Good May Accept Such Happiness
Because it is worse for the injurious to dominate the more just, the good may not unfittingly speak of conquest as a kind of happiness.
But because it would be worse for the injurious to dominate over the more just, this kind of happiness is therefore not unfittingly spoken of as such.
True Happiness: Peace Over Conquest
Greater happiness lies in peaceful harmony with a good neighbor than in subjugating a wicked one, since desiring an enemy out of hatred or fear is a bad desire.
But without a doubt greater happiness is to have a good neighbor living in harmony than to subjugate a wicked neighbor who is waging war. It is a bad desire to want to have someone you hate, or someone you fear, so that you may conquer them.
Closing Quotation Mark
The closing quotation mark ends the Augustinian citation.
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Read the original Latin
Bella gerere, et dilatare regnum, bonos sola necessitate vocari, ex libro Augustini de Civitate Dei (Lib. IV, c. 15.) « Belligerare, et perdomitis gentibus dilatare regnum, malis videtur felicitas, bonis necessitas. Sed quia pejus esset ut injuriosi justioribus dominarentur, ideo non incongrue dicitur etiam ista felicitas. Sed proculdubio felicitas major est, vicinum bonum habere concordem, quam vicinum malum subjugare bellantem. Mala vota sunt optare habere quem oderis, vel quem timeas, ut possit esse quem vincas. »
On the Person and Ministry of the King (De regis persona et regio ministerio) companion
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