What is your opinion on the following quote from Marcus Aurelius? Wouldn't embracing a Lord out of fear be...?

You gave a masterful quote there. To answer one of your naysayers, Plato and Socrates were philosophers who came from the same Pagan Society of Marcus Aurelius. Though the military and the Philosphers didn't always agree, most often the best philosophers were in the military. So I think the answer would be that Socrates and Plato would have welcomed the good generals comments and his person as a brother to their society.