 This was the normal age for a man of patrician rank to become consul under the Principate as opposed to during the Roman Republic when the minimum age was 40.From this information we can guess that he had been a Quaestor (1 BC), an Aedile (2 BC), Praetor (5 BC) and a governor of a small province before becoming Consul.After his year as Consul he was named Proconsul of Africa and inherited a war against the Numidian insurgent Tacfarinas.