IIRC, Pliny the Younger wrote that Pliny the Elder served as a junior officer, (under Corbulo, in Germania?) and then left the service during Nero's reign. He may have been laying low and Nero's reign was a good time for it.
When Flavius Vespasianus became emperor, Pliny came out of "retirement" and served as provincial governor ( procurator) in various locales during Vespasian's reign and then was given command of the fleet at Misenum by Vespasian shortly before the latter's death. It was probably intended as a reward. Ended up getting him killed.
I agree with you about getting some real history into the thread. It wasn't going to happen on Shitstain's watch.
When Flavius Vespasianus became emperor, Pliny came out of "retirement" and served as provincial governor ( procurator) in various locales during Vespasian's reign and then was given command of the fleet at Misenum by Vespasian shortly before the latter's death. It was probably intended as a reward. Ended up getting him killed.
I agree with you about getting some real history into the thread. It wasn't going to happen on Shitstain's watch.