Based on his membership in the Pollia
tribe, Justus' origin is thought to be in north Italy. His career began in his teens as one of the
quattuorviri viarum curandarum, or overseers of the maintenance of the public roads of Rome. This was one of the four boards that comprised the
vigintiviri; membership in the
vigintiviri was a preliminary and required first step toward a gaining entry into the Roman Senate. Next Justus was elected
quaestor, which he served this at Rome, and upon completion of this traditional Republican magistracy he would be enrolled in the Senate. After this
Hadrian adlected him
inter tribunicos. Justus completed this portion of his Senatorial career as
peregrine praetor. Justus served what
Anthony Birley considered "a rather lengthy series of appointments between the praetorship and consulship". First were a series of appointments in Rome:
sevir equitum Romanorum,
praefectus frumenti dandi, and
curator of several Italians roads -- the
via Clodia,
Annia,
Cassia and
Ciminia. This was followed with a commission as
legatus legionis or commander of
Legio XX Valeria Victrix during the reign of
Antoninus Pius, which at the time was stationed in
Roman Britain. Later in Pius' reign, Justus was
proconsul of a public province, most likely
Sicily, then governor of
Dacia. In a footnote, Birley cites
Werner Eck as observing that none of the ten known
praefectura frumenti dandi of the period AD 70-138 continued to a consular office. Dates for the last three offices can be inferred. Working backwards, since he was governor of Dacia prior to being suffect consul, and his tenure probably lasted three years, we can surmise he was governor c. 147-c. 150; this was preceded by a year as proconsul. His time with Legio XX Valeria Victrix, Birley concludes, "may thus have coincided with the campaigns of
Quintus Lollius Urbicus, but, at all events, may be assigned to the early or mid-140s." An inscription found in
Milan also attests that Justus was a member of the
sodales Augustales, a prominent Roman priesthood. Justus is known to have held one consular post, governor of
Moesia Superior; his tenure is attested by an incomplete
military diploma that can be dated to either 158 or 159. == Family ==