In 65 B.C., Caesar became aedile - an important Roman magistrate - and produced lavish games in the Circus Maximus which endeared him to the public but threw him heavily into debt. In 67 B.C., he married Pompeia, a granddaughter of Sulla and relative of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great), with whom he formed an important alliance. He became military tribune and then quaestor of a Roman province in 69 B.C., the same year his wife Cornelia died. Political RiseĬaesar soon began his political career in earnest. But Caesar hired a private fleet to hunt them down and had the pirates crucified for their crimes. Reportedly, Caesar acted more like a domineering leader with the pirates than their captive.Īfter his ransom was paid, the pirates let him go. In 75 B.C., as he crossed the Aegean Sea in route to Rhodes to study philosophy and oratory, murderous pirates captured Caesar. After Sulla’s death in 78 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome and became a successful prosecutor widely known for his oratory skills. His family intervened and convinced Sulla to spare Caesar’s life however, Sulla stripped Caesar of his inheritance.ĭespite the reprieve, Caesar left Rome, joined the army and earned the prestigious Civic Crown for his courage at the Siege of Mytilene in 80 B.C.

In 82 B.C., Sulla won the civil war and ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia.

Julius ceaser story