Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 2 - Government, Society, and Culture in the Roman Empire

The Equestrian Career 159

andthetheoryassuchseemsanunnecessaryencumbranceonanotherwise
readilyintelligiblepatterninwhichanumberofdisparatepostsentrustedto
equestriansgraduallycoalescedintosomethinglikeanorganizedcivilser-
vice.Onthisview,therankingsintermsofpay,explicitlyattestedbyDio
butstillappearingonlyinaminorityofdocumentsintheperiod170–270,
wouldberegardedasaconsequenceofthedevelopmentandextensionof
equestrianoffice-holding,ratherthanasafactordeterminingthenatureof
thatdevelopment.
ButwhateverobjectionstheremaybetothecategoriesintowhichPflaum
attempts to fit his material, the patterns of promotion and office-holding
which he demonstrates are undeniable and make this work a landmark in
our understanding of an important aspect of the imperial administration.
Against this network of interrelated patterns individual careers can be in-
terpretedwithconfidenceinawayneverbeforepossible.Inthisimmense
collectionofmaterial,admirablysetoutandanalysedwithdevotionandin-
sight,PflaumhasproducedamajorcontributiontothestudyoftheEmpire,
andonewhichcanstandcomparisonwiththeworksofHirschfeldandStein.