William O. Stephens

He wanted to be a philosopher.

He was called upon to be an emperor.

He did not seek political power.

He didn't want it.

He understood Plato better than we do in the Republic when Socrates says, philosophers don't rule because they want to.

They rule because they need to.

because you need a wise ruler who's dedicated to justice, not wealth, not power.

And Marcus is growing up in a world that's all about power.

And yes, there's philosophy, but you know, that's for the nerds, right?

That's for, you know, the bookish types.

That's for the long beards, right?

Roman movers and shakers, you know, with their military training and the cursus honorum, right?

Of all the different offices, I mean, they learn how to administrate and they learn how to command men and they learn how to project power and gravitas, right?

And for Marcus, you know, he saw through that to the extent that what he was drawn to as a philosopher in a literal sense is wisdom.

He was a lover of wisdom.

but he recognized his responsibilities.

He was tapped, he was called, right?

That was his calling.

Or rather he was called upon rather, right?

He was called upon by Hadrian, but his own vocation, his own personal spiritual calling was to do philosophy and read literature.