[PART IV]
[CHAPTER XVI]
WAR
[§ 94. Definition]
Gentilis, one of the earliest writers on the laws of war, defined war in 1588 as "a properly conducted contest of armed public forces."[292] The nature of such contests varied with circumstances, and wars were, accordingly, classified by early writers as public, private, mixed, etc., distinctions that now have little more than historical value.[293] Wars are now sometimes classified as international and civil.