C. Plinius Secundus was born at Comum (modern Como) in late ad 23 or sometime the following year. Comum, at the southern end of Lake Larius (modern Lago di Como), had been an obscure Celtic village until a century previously, when the Romans established a presence there. Virtually nothing is known about Pliny’s youth or education, but by ad 47 he had embarked on an equestrian military career in Germania under the command of Cn. Domitius Corbulo. He had returned to Rome by the ad 50s, and seems to have remained relatively obscure during the principate of Nero. But with the accession of Vespasian – whom he already knew – in ad 69 he returned to public service and became a procurator (financial officer), with positions in various locations, including Narbonensis, Tarraconensis, Belgica, Africa, and perhaps elsewhere. He became a close advisor to the emperor, confering with him on a daily basis when in Rome. He also practiced law. Eventually he became fleet commander at Misenum, the Roman naval base established by Augustus at the end of the long peninsula that forms the western side of the Bay of Naples. His sister Plinia and her son, also C.