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International Law I INTRODUCTION ? International Law, principles and rules of conduct that nations regard as binding upon them and, therefore, are expected to and usually do observe in their relations with one another. International law is the law of the international community. II ANCIENT HISTORY The need for some principles and rules of conduct between independent states arises whenever such states enter into mutual relations. Rules governing the treatment of foreign traders, travelers, and ambassadors, as well as the conclusion and observance of treaties, developed early in human history. The oldest known treaty, preserved in an inscription on a stone monument, is a peace treaty between two Sumerian city-states, dating from about 3100 BC. A considerable number of treaties concluded by the empires of the ancient Middle East during the 2nd millennium BC show rudimentary notions of international law. In later antiquity the Jews, Greeks, and Romans developed tenets of international law. Jewish law as set forth in the Book of Deuteronomy contains prescriptions for the mitigation of warfare, notably prohibitions against the killing of women and children. The Greek city-states created an elaborate treaty system governing a multitude of aspects of the relations among themselves. The conduct of the Olympic Games and the protection of religious sanctuaries, such as the Temple of Delphi, were among the subjects of some of these inter-Greek treaties. Even more than other ancient people, the Romans made significant contributions to the evolution of international law. They developed the idea of a jus gentium, a body of laws designed to govern the treatment of aliens subject to Roman rule and the relations between Roman citizens and aliens. They were the first people to recognize in principle the duty of a nation to refrain from engaging in warfare without a just cause and to originate the idea of a just war. III THE MODERN SYSTEM ? Modern internationa