When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. .
In the winter of 75-74 BC, Caesar was captured by pirates. While waiting the arrival of the ransom money demanded he threatened them with crucifixion, a threat he fulfilled immediately after his release. He then returned to Rome to engage in a normal political career, starting with the quaetorship which he served in 69-68 BC in the province of Farther Spain. .
In the Roman political world of the sixties the dominance of .
Pompey and Crassus challenged the optimates. The optimates, led by Quintus Lutatius Catulus and Lucius Licinius Lucullus, were chiefly men whose careers had been made by Sulla. Pompey and Crassus were consuls in 70 BC and had rescinded the most offensively reactionary measures of Sulla's legislation. During Pompey's absence from 67 to 62 BC during his campaigns against the Mediterranean pirates, Mithridates, and Crassus, his jealous rival Caesar married Pompeia after Cornelia's death and was appointed aedile in 65 BC. As aedile, Caesar returned Marius" trophies to their former place of honor in the Capitol, thus laying claim to leadership of the populares. 3.
In 62 BC Caesar divorced his wife Pompeia because of the allegation that she had been implicated in the offense of a man named Clodius. Clodius was then awaiting trial for breaking into Caesar's house the previous December disguised as a woman at the festival of the Bona Dea, which no man is allowed to attend. .
After his return from a successful year administrating Spain, .
Caesar was elected consul for 59 BC through political alliance with Pompey and Crassus. This alliance was called the first triumvirate. Caesar's purpose was to gain a big military command. Pompey for his part sought the ratification of his Eastern settlement and land allotments for his discharged troops.
