Marius' impact on the future dictator must have been immense. As mentioned previously, his father attained the rank of Praetor and his uncle, Lucius Julius Caesar rose to a prominent Consulship during the Social War of 90 to 87 BC. Marius was certainly one of the richest men in Rome of the time and while he gained political clout, the Caesar family gained the wealth required to finance election campaigns for Caesar's father and uncles. While it may have been frowned upon by the elite of the day, first off in giving the uncouth Marius such assistance, it was a completely understandable move by the Caesars. Through this marriage in 110 BC and 10 years prior to the birth of his famous nephew, Marius gained the political and familial connection necessary to advance his own career up the cursus honorum. The marriage of his aunt Julia to the novus homo (new man) Gaius Marius had repercussions that affected the entire ancient world. The more significant event in the life of Caesar was a marriage arrangement that would have enormous impact on Roman culture as a whole. His father had reached the office of Praetor prior to his death, the office just below Consul, and at least helped set the stage for the Caesar line to return to the highest order. While he certainly played a role in the life of his young son, he was often away on military and Senatorial obligations, as was often the case with Patrician families. So few of the details of Gaius Julius Caesar the elder's life are known, that it's difficult to determine the impact this may have had. The later and seemingly less momentous event of the two was the death of his father at the age of 15 in 85 BC. Two major events impacted the life of the young Caesar. He had, though, the added advantage of his patrician heritage, along with a sort of political genius that would push him to the very limit of Roman power. It wouldn't take a genius to understand that several politicians in this era made a name for themselves using this method, and Caesar certainly caught on to this easily. However, the young Caesar certainly learned a great deal from his experiences as a child, as he early on realized the power in championing the common man. Even for a patrician family in poor financial straits, this was a definite handicap for future political ambition. His home was an insula, equivalent to an apartment building in the modern world. From Humble BeginningsĬaesar was raised in the common quarters of Rome, among the lower citizen classes. His mother, Aurelia, of the Aurelii Cotta line, seems to have been both a remarkable woman and a major influence on the life of her son. His father, Gaius Julius as well, had served in a respectable capacity within the Senate, but would have little notoriety aside from his son's legacy. Whilst still highly respected, they held little political clout. No Caesars in recent generations had held the seat of Consul. Still, at his start, the Caesar family was an impoverished line of the noble original clans. He later claimed to be a direct descendent of Aenaes, son of Venus, and therefore related to the gods themselves. Caesar was a member of the deeply patrician Julii family with roots dating to the foundation of the city itself. Gaius Julius Caesar was born most likely on 13th July (originally Quinctilis, but renamed in honor of Caesar after his death) in the year 100 BC.
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