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 ... § 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 gives no direct information about it. According to this theory his host was Vitrasius Pollio, prefect of Egypt. While in Egypt, Seneca was attacked by illness, and escaped death by his aunt's care. Cf. _ad Helv._ 19, 2, 'Illius pio maternoque nutricio per longum tempus aeger convalui.' Seneca accompanied Vitrasius when he resigned his office and returned with his wife to Italy A.D. 32 (Dio, lviii. 19, 6). They suffered shipwreck, and Vitrasius perished. _Ad Helv._ 19, 4, 'Sed si prudentiam perfectissimae feminae novi, non patietur te nihil profuturo maerore consumi et exemplum tibi suum, cuius ego etiam spectator fui, narrabit. Carissimum virum amiserat, avunculum nostrum, cui virgo nupserat, in ipsa quidem navigatione: tulit tamen eodem tempore et luctum et metum evictisque tempestatibus corpus eius naufraga evexit.' This theory is supported by the fact that Seneca wrote a work 'de ritu (al., situ) et sacris Aegyptiorum' (Serv. _ad Aen._ vi. 154). Through his aunt's influence Seneca obtained the quaestorship.