Meaning of If you want peace prepare for war

What is it? If you want peace, prepare for war:

"If you want peace, prepare for war" is a phrase by the Roman Flavio Vegecio Renato (383-450) contained in his work By re militari written in Latin and translated into Spanish as About military affairs.

So, whoever wants peace, prepare for war. Whoever wants to achieve victory, let him train his soldiers diligently. Whoever aspires to success must fight with strategy, and do not leave it to chance. No one dares to provoke or offend those who see themselves as superior in combat. "
By re militari

The phrase translated from Latin si vis pacem, parabellum, indicates that it is necessary to show strength to opponents so that they do not detect weaknesses or see opportunities for victory if they want to declare war. It indicates how important it is not only to preach, but also to show with actions that the defenses are strong in a nation.

The Roman Empire was characterized by being immersed in a time of wars and Flavio Vegecio Renato, as one of the writers of the Empire, he wrote several books on war strategies and military structures as the subject principal.

At a time when wars were common, due to constant invasions for the possession of territories, military strategies were part of the culture of those empires. In this context, Flavio Vegecio indicates the importance of a good defense to avoid war, since, In this way, the initiative of the action of attacking or not attacking remains in the hands of the one with the most defense. strong.

Having the power to decide between peace and war is, according to the author, the most efficient way to maintain peace if the nation is led by someone who values ​​it as such.

Works on military strategies as part of the philosophical thought of a people or nation was common in times when wars were a common act in politics as, for example, the book The Art of War from Sun Tzu, in China.

See also Book The Art of War by Sun Tzu.