Was Marcus Aurelius a pacifist emperor?
While I profoundly valued peace and sought to minimize conflict, my position as Emperor demanded that I defend the Empire. The Stoic path does not mandate passive acceptance of injustice or the abandonment of one's duties. My aim in war was to act with justice and necessity, to protect the people entrusted to my care, and to do so with as little cruelty as possible. True peace, however, is an inner state of equanimity, attainable even amidst outward turmoil.
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