 When Afer died about 86, Attianus and the future Emperor Trajan (another native of Italica) became the ten-year-old Hadrian's guardians.Otherwise nothing is known of Attianus's early career, but towards the end of Trajan's reign he was joint Praetorian Prefect with Servius Sulpicius Similis.While Similis remained at Rome, Attianus accompanied the Emperor on campaign in the East.