But on the other hand it may be justly said, that whoever is master of the persons, is master also of all the rights and things, which are vested in those persons, who are in that case considered as having nothing of their own. Indeed if any one should leave to a conquered people their rights, as a state, still there are some things belonging to that state, which he might appropriate to himself. For it is in his own power to determine, to what extent his generosity, or the exertion of his right shall go. Caesar imitated the conduct of Alexander, in forgiving the Dyrrachians a debt, which they owed to some one of the opposite party. But the kind of war, in which Caesar was engaged does not fall within the rules of the law of nations. CHAPTER IX. OF THE RIGHT OF POSTLIMINIUM. Origin of the term, postliminium--Where it takes effect--Certain things recoverable thereby--In what cases the right of postliminium prevails in peace, as well as war--What rights are recoverable, and what rights not recoverable--When a people is not entitled to the right of postliminium--Extent of civil law in these cases--Deserters--Ransomed prisoners--Subjects--Lands recovered by right of postliminium--Distinction formerly observed with respect to movable things--Modern practice. I. The professors of law in former ages have given no more satisfactory account of the rights of postliminium, than they have done of those, respecting things taken from the enemy. The subject has been more accurately handled by the ancient Romans, but often still with a considerable degree of confusion, so that a reader cannot easily distinguish, what part they assign to the province of the law of nations, and what part to the civil law of Rome. Amidst a great variety of opinions, upon the meaning of the word, postliminium, that of Scaevola seems the most natural, who derives it from the word _post_, signifying a return after captivity, and _limen_ the boundary or entrance of the house, or from _limes_, a public boundary. Thus the ancients called exile or banishment, _eliminium_, that is, sending any one out of the boundaries of the country. II. Postliminium therefore, according to its original signification, means the right, accruing to any one in consequence of his return home from captivity. Pomponius defines the right of postliminium to take place the moment any one enters a town or garrison, of which his sovereign is master; but according to Paulus he must have entered within the territories of his own country before he can be entitled to that right. Upon this principle nations have, in general, gone so far, as to allow the right of postliminium to take place, where any person, or indeed any thing, coming within the privileges of postliminium, have arrived within the territory of a friendly or allied power.