His
cursus honorum is partially known from an inscription set up at
Antium in
Campania to commemorate his
patronage of the city. Proculus began his career as one of the
tresviri monetalis, the most prestigious of the four boards that comprise the
vigintiviri; assignment to this board was usually allocated to
patricians or favored individuals. This was followed by
quaestor, as the candidate of the emperor, another indication of his favored status. Upon completion of this traditional Republican magistracy Proculus would be enrolled in the Senate. This was followed by a commission as a
military tribune in the
Legio IV Scythica, then stationed at
Zeugma in
Syria; upon returning to Rome, Proculus was appointed
ab actis for the emperor Trajan. Then he advanced to the next two traditional Republican magistracies:
plebeian tribune and
praetor. After completing his praetorship, Proculus was appointed to a series of offices. First he was commissioned
legatus legionis or commander of
Legio VI Ferrata, at the time stationed at
Samosata; Birley dates his command around the years 104 to 106. Next was
legatus pro praetor of the Transpadene region. Proculus then was appointed to supervise the
census of the imperial province of
Gallia Lugdunensis, and his final appointment prior to his consulate was
curator operum publicorum. Also before his consulate Proculus was made a
fetial and admitted to the
Quindecimviri sacris faciundis, the Roman priesthood entrusted with the care of the
Sibylline oracles. His career after his consulate is disputed. A fragmentary inscription from Larinum, where most of the name of the subject is missing, nevertheless attests someone enjoyed a second consulate; the priesthoods, the governorship in Lugdunensis, and serving as a
monetalis listed in this inscription, combined with the last portion of the subject's
cognomen has convinced experts to identify the honorand as Gaius Julius Proculus. The problem is that he is not attested as an ordinary consul, let alone after the year 109; thus he must have been a suffect consul for a second time during the reign of
Hadrian. == References ==