Anecdotes

While sailing to Rhodes to follow the lessons of the famous oratory master Apollonio Molone, Julius Caesar was taken prisoner by the pirates and held hostage for about forty days, while his travel companions had been sent to Rome to collect the money of the ransom.

During this period, Caesar became familiar with the pirates, he often played dice with them and sometimes asked them which tree they would have liked to be hanged from or what torture they would have liked once, free, he would have captured them.

When the ransom of fifty talents was paid and left free, Julius Caesar immediately hired a fleet and set out in pursuit of the pirates.

After reaching and capturing them, he sentenced them to torture or hanged them on the tree they had chosen as a joke.

(Suetonius - Life of the Caesars) ======================== Pompeia, Caesar's wife, was tried for sacrilege, together with her lover Publio Clodio.

In the trial Cesare defended his wife and declared that he knew nothing of the sacrilege with which she was accused.

Later, however, the leader repudiated Pompeia.

To those who asked him why he repudiated her, Caesar replied: "Because all Caesar's relatives must be immune to both faults and suspicions." (Suetonius - Life of the Caesars) ======================== Often the fate of battles now lost were overturned thanks to the example that Julius Caesar gave to his.

It is said that once upon a time the enemies were about to have the upper hand in combat.

In the fray Julius Caesar, realizing that the bishop was running away, rushed to him, grabbed him by the neck and turning him back he said: "See that the enemies are that way!".

(Plutarch - Life of Caesar) ======================== While in the Alps Julius Caesar passed through a village of barbarians, poor, desolate and with few inhabitants, his companions jokingly asked: - Who knows if even here there are no ambitions for public offices and the various competitions for the first places and envy among the most powerful.

And Cesare, very seriously, answered them: - If I have to tell you the truth, as far as I am concerned, I would prefer to be the first among these people than the second in Rome.

(Plutarch - Life of Caesar) ======================== One day, while reading the stories of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar remained thoughtful for a long time and then burst into tears.

This caused a lot of wonder in his friends who asked him why.

And Julius Caesar replied: "Doesn't it seem to you that I have good reasons to be sorry if, at my age, Alexander reigned over many people, while I still haven't done anything exceptional?" (Plutarch - Life of Caesar) ======================== When Metellus died, Pope Maximus, several eminent citizens of Rome aspired to this prestigious office .

Julius Caesar did not withdraw in front of them, but advanced his candidacy and not even a large sum of money offered to him by a competitor convinced him to withdraw.

On the contrary, Julius Caesar, having borrowed a greater sum of money than they had been offered, said that he would lead the competition to the end.

On election day, Caesar said hugging her to the mother who had accompanied him to the door: "Today you will see your son the pontiff, maximum or fugitive." (Caesar was elected Pontiff Maximus - Editor's note) (Plutarch - The Life of Caesar)