family see under 'Seneca
the elder,' pp. 226-7. He was probably born about the beginning of our
era, as he seems to have remembered Asinius Pollio, who died A.D. 5,
and had passed his boyhood in A.D. 19, when the Jewish and Egyptian
rites were expelled from Rome.

Sen. _de tranquill. animi_, 17, 7, 'Qualem Pollionem Asinium
meminimus, quem nulla res ultra decimam [horam] retinuit.'

_Ep._ 108, 22, 'In Tiberii Caesaris principatum iuventae tempus
inciderat: alienigena tum sacra movebantur.'

At an early age Seneca was brought to Rome by his mother's sister, who
was probably the wife of Vitrasius Pollio, prefect of Egypt for
sixteen years.

_Ad Helv._ 19, 2, 'Illius manibus in urbem perlatus sum.'

Seneca's mother took a great interest in his education, which was
conducted under Fabianus Papirius (cf. _Ep._ 100, 9, etc.) and Sotion
the Pythagorean, of Alexandria, pupils of Sextius (for Seneca's study
of whom see _Ep._ 64).

_Ad Helv._ 15, 1, 'Vera vis materni doloris oritur ... "ubi studia,
quibus libentius quam femina, familiarius quam mater intereram?"'

_Ep._ 108, 17, 'Dicebat [Sotion] quare ille animalibus abstinuisset,
quare postea Sextius ... par. 22. His ego instinctus abstinere animalibus
coepi et anno peracto non tantum facilis erat mihi consuetudo, sed
dulcis.'

The elder Seneca put an end to this abstinence, which was associated
in the popular view with foreign superstitions (see _Ep._ 108, 17-23).
This must have happened about A.D. 19. The influence of Sotion is seen
in passages imitated from his book _de ira cohibenda_ by Seneca.
Seneca also studied under Attalus, a Greek Stoic, possibly about A.D.
20.

_Ep._ 108, 13-15, 'Ego certe cum Attalum audirem in vitia, in errores,
in mala vitae perorantem, saepe misertus sum generis humani et illum
sublimem altioremque humano fastigio credidi ... Inde mihi quaedam
permansere, Lucili. Magno enim in omnia inceptu veneram. Deinde ad
civitatis vitam reductus ex bene coeptis pauca servavi: inde ostreis
boletisque in omnem vitam renuntiatum est.'

Seneca speaks of his change of studies and occupations in _Ep._ 49, 2,
'Modo apud Sotionem philosophum puer sedi. Modo causas agere coepi.
Modo desii velle agere, modo desii posse.'

In A.D. 31 Seneca was probably still at Rome; cf. _N.Q._ i. 1, 3,
'Vidimus [prodigium] eo tempore, quo de Seiano actum est.' Lipsius'
inference[74] that Seneca made a voyage to Egypt about this time is
probable, though Seneca himself g