In The magister equitum in the Roman Republic, Jordan provides an in-depth examination of the history and development of the office of magister equitum from both a legalistic and practical perspective. He begins with a discussion of the origins of the office. Here Jordan thoroughly discusses and discards various proposed origins before reaching the conclusion that the position-holder was, as the name suggests, intended to be the leader of the cavalry contingent of an army lead on foot by the dictator. Jordan deals with the ever-present problem of sources for the early and middle Roman Republic well, focusing on their plausibility to the contemporary readership. While acknowledging that this is no guarantee of complete accuracy, Jordan cogently argues for this good-faith approach.
The second chapter provides a detailed examination of the nature of the power and authority of the magister equitum, both in relation to the dictator and to other current and former magistrates. The highly technical and lengthy discussion of potestas, imperium, auctoritas and collegiality becomes convoluted at times. As elsewhere, Jordan prefers to discuss and disagree with the arguments of other scholars before presenting his own argument and conclusion. More sign posting of where the discussion is headed would be of great benefit in orientating the reader. Nonetheless, Jordan’s position is well argued. Jordan completes his exploration of this theme in the fourth chapter, where the senatorial rank of the magister equitum is examined.
Having established the nature of the magister’s power and authority, the third chapter discusses his practical role in the field and within the city. Jordan uses the lens of the prestige of leadership for much of the discussion, often overlooking the more practical and immediate elements of leading an army (or contingent) in the field. While these are mentioned briefly, the argument would have benefitted from more consideration of the relationship between the legal position of the magister equitum and the ‘facts on the ground’. The following discussion of what a magister equitum was able to achieve in Rome, an area traditionally considered largely outside his sphere of influence, is an illuminating and valuable contribution. Jordan is able to convincingly demonstrate, despite the sparse evidence and his subservient role to the dictator, the degree of independence with which the magister equitum was able to act within and without Rome.
The final chapter examines the revival of the office by Sulla and more especially by Julius Caesar after a hiatus of 120 years. Jordan examines how differently the role is used by dictators and the office holders themselves, yet in many ways remains within the legal framework outlined in previous chapters. Of particular interest is the discussion of how Octavius (later Augustus), as magister equitum designate, was able to use the authority and status of the office to strengthen his position following Caesar’s assassination, despite never having actually come into office.
The appendix provides a handy prosopography of all known actual and designated holders of the office. The bibliography is thorough, with no obvious omissions. The only production error of note is the unfortunate mistranslation of sine (page 107), where it is a key part of Jordan’s argument.