Conceptions and Sources
vincials in appointments to the senatorial office ofpraefectus aerarii Saturni
(prefectoftheaerariumofSaturn—thestatetreasuryinRome).Butevenif
wecanbesureoftheidentificationofmen’slocalorigins(aswecanwith
Marsianus, but often cannot),we have no clear indications that such cate-
gorieshadanyrelevanceatalltotheappointmentsmadebyemperors.These
andsimilarambiguities,bothstatisticalandconceptual,haunt—andhaveso
faralmost entirely vitiated—all attempts to go beyond the formal records
whichtheinscriptionspresent,toconclusionsinvolvingchoices,values,and
intentions.^114
The same ambiguities attend all attempts to interpret the succession of
posts previously held bya man as the basis of his specific claims (in terms
ofrelevantexperienceorqualifications)toamoreseniorpost.Butthefact
thatalistofpostsistheonlyevidencewhichwehappentohavedoesnot
meanthatweshouldbeconfidentthatitprovidesasufficientexplanation,or
anyexplanationatall.Wecanneverknowtherelevanceofpersonalqualities
(includingquiescenceandlackofdangerousambitions),familybackground,
theinfluenceof intermediaries,orsimplythefactof havingbeenavailable
andoftherightseniorityattherighttime.ItmaybeindicativethatAurelius’
letter—oneoftherareitemsofevidencewhichevenalludestothemotives
of imperialchoice—impliesthatthepromotionwasapersonalfavour,de-
pendentonthepersonalmoralandsocialqualitiesoftherecipient.Personal
patronagemayormaynothavebeenanimportantfactor;butwhatisclearis
thattheformalevidenceoftheinscriptionsfullydemonstratesapatternof
varietyratherthanconcentrationof‘‘relevantexperience’’inthecase(say)of
prefectsofEgypt^115 andingeneralfailstoshowconsistentpatternsofpro-
motioninequestriancareers.^116 Thesamedifficultiesofinterpretationattend
senatorialcareers.Weremenpickedfortheirabilities?Iftheyroserapidly—
thatis,gainedtheconsulateearlyorhadfewintermediateposts—isthata
sign of the recognition of theirabilities? But, if so, their background ‘‘ex-
perience’’ when they reached the major military posts will have been less,
notgreater.^117 Or(again)didmenrisebyvirtueoftheirsocialbackground,
connections,orpersonalcharms?Butinanycasethewholeareamaybeone
. Fordemonstration of the dangers inherent in such attempts, see the reviewof a
numberofprosopographicalworksbyG.P.BurtoninJRS():–.
. SeethedemonstrationbyP.A.Brunt,‘‘TheAdministratorsofRomanEgypt,’’JRS
():.
. SeeR.P.Saller,‘‘PromotionandPatronageinEquestrianCareers,’’JRS():
,andPersonal Patronage in the Early Empire(Cambridge,).
. SeeB.Campbell,‘‘Whowerethe‘ViriMilitares’?,’’JRS():.