This book has a long and illustrious list of predecessors. Over the course of the last 150 years or so, luminaries like A. Stein, H.-G. Pflaum, C. Nicolet, E. Badian and S. Demougin (among others) have dedicated seminal studies to the ordo equester. Issues like the composition, economic and political roles, involvement in the military and status symbols are now much clearer for those interested in the history of the Roman world. D.'s volume is a valuable addition to this scholarship, bringing together different strands of past research, offering an original and stimulating view of Roman history (all of it), and of the role played by the equestrian order therein.

The stated aim of the book is to present an institutional and social history of the equestrian order in the Roman world, from the eighth century bc to the fifth century ad. This is an ambitious task, and it is approached in an even more ambitious way. D. considers the order in its ever-changing historical context, showing how the ordo was a product of, as well as an agent in, the broader developments that led Rome from city-state to world empire. As he argues, the equestrian order remained a unifying force for members of the ruling classes as well as for ambitious individuals from the origins of the city until the last centuries of the empire. It transcended the boundaries of the city, incorporating municipal elites and soldiers and ensuring the cohesion of imperial societies and the functioning of government structures. The book is structured around three inter-related questions: what was the role played by equites in the working of the state, whether in judicial courts, administrative posts or in the military? How did equestrians identify themselves through ceremonies, status symbols and ideological elements? And finally, what was the wider sociological function of the ordo in terms of how the res publica (including the empire) worked? These themes preside over the structure of the book and are explicitly addressed in all chapters.

The argument is presented in a mostly chronological order, following the development of the res publica – understood as the state as well as the community of Romans – over time, focusing on the city of Rome and Italy, while remaining sensitive to regional diversity. Part 1, ‘The Republic’, is dedicated to the origins of the equestrian order, from its origins as a mounted aristocracy with a militaristic ideology until its consolidation within the Roman elite in the first century bc, independent from the senatorial class. By the time of Cicero the ordo equester was in the process of becoming an institutionalised group with its own ideology and status symbols that brought together members of the Roman elite as well as Italian worthies. This group played a crucial role in the establishment of the Principate, as Augustus and his successors followed the tradition of the late Republican ‘proto-courts’, appointing their own men to key posts in the ruling of the empire. This new role generated tensions between equestrians and senators as well as situations of status anxiety as new members joined the order through imperial patrocinium. In this process, the equestrian order integrated members of the Roman and the provincial elites, as attested by the diffusion of status symbols like a distinctive dressing style, golden rings and special seating in entertainment venues. These issues gained greater prominence as the empire was progressively structured as a government system, with the creation of specific careers and structures of command in both the army and civilian administration. The Roman Empire that emerges from D.'s analysis was a complex social and political construction that combined Roman and provincial traditions and hierarchies. This appears more clearly in Part 3, dedicated to the examination of the involvement of equestrians in the ceremonies, spectacles and religious rituals (Chapter 10) that expressed consensus around the imperial regime. This situation changed dramatically from the late second century onwards (Part 4), as different responses to political and military issues drove a wedge between the senatorial and the equestrian elites, an evolution that led to an increased association between emperors and equestrians. It was only in the fourth century that this situation was reversed, as Constantine and the emperors who followed him reunified the imperial ruling classes, military and civilian, through the expansion of senatorial rank. The history of the equestrian order is thus the history of the Roman elites, their definition and their relationship with the governing structures of the empire.

Throughout, D. shows an impressive mastery of the epigraphic and literary evidence. His discussion of honorific inscriptions is a model of how one can use familiar texts in a fruitful way, illuminating not only changes in career patterns, but also how these were integrated into local/traditional social hierarchies – and how individuals responded to these. The iconography and monumentality of funerary monuments are effectively used as a source for describing social change, being incorporated into the social and political history of the Roman world (e.g. pp. 149–50). The pervasive nature of the equestrian order, with its members scattered throughout the Mediterranean and involved in all aspects of life, would alone make it impossible to consider all the evidence available (but one wonders how much of it was missed out). However, by focusing on his three questions, D. is able to analyse the relevant material in great detail, integrating sources of different nature in his discussion. The wealth of material examined in the book is such that the lack of an index locorum is a real shame.

But there is more to this volume than its argument and range of coverage: the book offers a stimulating model for social histories of the Roman world. Almost any analysis of Roman society is hampered by the fact that we have to deal with Roman categories to describe a reality that did not correspond immediately to them. The fact that Roman society – and the very definition of what is Roman – changed so much during antiquity is an aggravating factor. Making use of modern social theories of elites, especially in the tradition of M. Weber and G. Mosca, D. is able to explore both the diverse and the unifying elements of the ordo equester, showing how change and conflict (gatekeepers and social climbers) were part of the social dynamic that defined this group. The equestrian order and its symbols of status and belonging had the crucial function of unifying a vast part of the Mediterranean elite, integrating both those who were keen to serve in the military or civil administration and those who chose to remain in their cities. In other words, the ordo served ultimately as an instrument of imperial dominance.

This strength of the book is also one of its limitations: the history of the Roman world on offer here is one of consensus and integration. Whereas members of the senatorial elite are shown playing a crucial role in this history, be it through patronage, passing laws, plotting against emperors or being defeated in wars against external enemies, the equestrian order worked and was transformed according to the needs and policies of the ruling power, being repeatedly characterised as ‘domesticated’. It would be unfair to consider this a major issue in the book. What D. set out to do was to show how the equestrian order was defined and evolved as part of the imperium of the Romans and how it came to define and embody the very structures that made Roman domination possible over such a long period of time. In this sense, this book is a remarkable success, and it will remain essential reading for anyone interested in Roman history or the comparative study of elites.