According to Syme, he began as a praefectus cohortis, a "commander of a cohort" (an infantry cohort, as junior officers began in the infantry), under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, himself a writer (whose works did not survive) in Germania Inferior.
I henhold til Syme begyndte han som præfectus cohortis, en "kommandant af en kohorte" (en infanterikohorte da juniorofficerer begyndte i infanteriet) under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo som også var en forfatter (men ingen af hans værker er overleverede) i Germania Inferior.