[4] His first recorded post was the minor magistracy decemviri stlitibus iudicandis, one of the vigintiviri, which Syme believes indicates that Rusticus was either the son of a senator, or had been granted dignitas senatoria.
[1] The Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69) found him serving as a military tribune of Legio II Augusta, where Anthony Birley believes he played an important role in rallying the legions in Britain to Vespasian's side based on his adlection to the Senate with praetorian rank, and the dona militaria or decorations he received.
[5] This was followed with an appointment to the curatorship of the Viae Aurelia and Cornelia, and afterwards command of Legio VIII Augusta, which was stationed at Argentorate in Germania Superior.
[8] However, the relationship between this office and being favored in promotions has been questioned: in a study of this phenomenon, Paul Leunissen observed that "the number of ascertained cases remains low altogether and the differences between individual provinces are too small to justify any conclusion in the direction of ranking-differences between them ... only a few testimonia could bring about considerable shifts.
[12] While governor of Cappadocia, the decurions of Antioch petitioned him for relief from a famine caused by a harsh winter; his response was recorded on an inscription retrieved from that city.