Marcus Petronius Honoratus was a Roman eques who held a number of military and civilian positions during the reigns of the Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, which included praefectus annonae and praefectus or governor of Roman Egypt.
His career is documented in an inscription found at Rome, which was erected by negotiatores ole[ari] ex Baetica, or oil merchants from Baetica, which was one of the most important sources of quality oil; this group had chosen Petronius Honoratus as their patron.
He advanced to procurator of the vicesima hereditatium, or overseer of the collection of the 5% inheritance tax, which received an annual income of 200,000 sesterces.
Henriette Pavis d'Escurac notes Honoratus advanced to this posting without holding any governmental procuratorships, which is unusual: she compares his career to another eques, Gaius Junius Flavianus, was governor of Alpes Maritimes before advancing to procurator of imperial properties in Asturia and Galicia.
D'Escurac agrees with Hans-Georg Pflaum's suggestion that the rapidity of his brilliant career may be partly explained by his kinship with Marcus Petronius Mamertinus, who was suffect consul in 150 AD and governor of Egypt several years before Honoratus.