Originally a member of the equestrian order, Vindex demonstrated courage and intelligence that led to his award of dona militaria and elevation into the Senate, followed by his appointment to the consulate, which Géza Alföldy dates to an undetermined nundinium around the year 175.

[2] While Alföldy offers Camuldounum as one possibility, he also mentions Colonia Agrippa as equally plausible alternative, but in any case Vindex came from one of the Western provinces.

As there were only a dozen units of this type in the Roman Empire of the 2nd century AD according to Birley's count, their commanders could be considered the elite of the equestrian military service.

Anthony Birley suggests the emperor Marcus Aurelius assigned him this posting because of his military experience, however, due to continued pressure from the barbarians who had re-entered the Great Hungarian Plain and perhaps even crossed the Tisza river from the northwest.

Vindex had a crucial role in defending Roman territory, for there was a gap in leadership in the time between the disappearance of the governor of Roman Dacia, Sextus Calpurnius Agricola – possibly dead from the Antonine Plague, or killed in action – and Marcus Claudius Fronto, governor of the neighboring province of Moesia Superior, was able to assume authority in the beleaguered province.

[13] The second part of his career began when Vindex was adlected into the Senate inter praeterio, that is, he was admitted into that deliberative body with the rank of ex-praetor.

Another possibility is the likelihood his father may have been the praetorian prefect; Alföldy connects his adlection to the date the older Vindex died in combat.

[15] His suffect consulate followed; Alföldy believes he held this magistracy in absentia; Vindex did not return to Rome to hold the fasces, but remained in his province.

While governor of this province, a soldier by the name of Quintus Valerius Atinianus erected an altar dedicated to the goddess Diana; this monument provides independent confirmation of Vindex's posting.