[21]
There is, however, no such thing as private1
ownership established by nature, but property becomes private either through long occupancy (as in
the case of those who long ago settled in unoccupied
territory) or through conquest (as in the case of
those who took it in war) or by due process of law,
bargain, or purchase, or by allotment. On this principle the lands of Arpinum are said to belong to the
Arpinates, the Tusculan lands to the Tusculans; and
similar is the assignment of private property. Therefore, inasmuch as in each case some of those things
which by nature had been common property became the property of individuals, each one should
retain possession of that which has fallen to his lot;
and if anyone appropriates to himself anything
beyond that, he will be violating the laws of human
society.
1 Public vs. private interests.
M. Tullius Cicero. De Officiis. With An English Translation. Walter Miller. Cambridge. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. 1913.
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