The Prodigal Young Caesar, a Man Who Owes 1300 Talents for His Education

When Aurelia Cotta spoke to her son in this way, the boy beside her, after hearing his mother's words, frowned slightly.

"But I want to be like my uncle Marius, mother."

At this age, Caesar was still a fan of his uncle Marius.

Hearing this, Aurelia Cotta didn't get angry; she merely changed her approach—

"Even your uncle Marius followed Scipio Aemilianus in defeating the mighty Carthage.

Your uncle possesses not only great wisdom but also considerable courage and martial prowess."

"I understand, mother." Caesar's frown eased.

In truth, he did not reject the idea of seeing blood and training with weapons; he was even eager to try.

Ancient Romans had a deep-seated bloodlust, a love for war, and admiration for strong warriors!

Even the future Caesar, who would initially pursue a career as a civil servant, relying on his eloquence and financial strategies to climb the ranks, never neglected his martial training.

In the future, like Harriman, when he was forced to flee due to Sulla's purge, Caesar even joined the local army to fight pirates and earned a medal.

This showed that he had a restless, warlike heart.

However—Caesar's family wasn't as "well-off" as one might imagine, causing his mother, Aurelia to constantly worry about his upbringing and education.

Caesar was the only male heir of the Julius family's side branch, and thus he shouldered a great responsibility.

Despite being an ancient Roman aristocratic family with a 500-year history, Caesar's family was not as wealthy as other old Roman noble families at the time.

Yes—

Their "poverty" was relative to those nobles with immense power and wealth.

They were poor to the extent of owning a few buildings and many estates in the Subura, yet still able to support Caesar through years of education, making him one of the most knowledgeable men in Rome.

Rome originated from seven small hills, where living conditions were relatively better.

Although the land between the hills was initially uninhabitable and required improvements, over generations, it became a symbol of the aristocracy.

Compared to these old noble families, the Julius family, forced to live in the market district below the hills, was indeed "impoverished and destitute."

Even Aurelia Cotta, Caesar's mother and a marriage alliance candidate, came from a family that had produced only one consul, making her essentially of plebeian origin.

The Julius family's poverty was real.

It's said that studying in Rome was very expensive, and as one of the most educated men in Rome (Caesar), combined with his youthful indulgence in lavish lifestyles, he eventually accumulated debts of up to 1300 talents by the time he was thirty, making him deeply indebted.

When he was kidnapped by pirates, his ransom was only 50 talents (equivalent to five hundred million in today's terms).

Those 1300 talents were equivalent to the annual salary of an army of 110,000 men.

Athens' final reserves were only 800 talents back then.

Imagine the financial strain of raising a future Roman dictator like Caesar, who wasn't an emperor but was the first to surpass the title.

This was possible thanks to his mother, Aurelia Cotta, who valued education and was willing to spend money on it.

A few years ago, for Caesar's education, because she lacked deep resources, she used innovative methods.

As a plebeian noblewoman marrying into an old aristocratic family, Aurelia wasn't as traditional or stubborn as other Romans, who believed that only Greeks were the best and most outstanding teachers.

Of course, the high cost of Greek teachers was also a factor.

At that time, Roman culture was heavily influenced by Greece, with the best (and most expensive) teachers being Greek.

However, Aurelia chose more cost-effective Gauls who graduated from Egypt.

When Rome was rising against the previous power Carthage, Gaul was the dominant force in Western Europe and even sacked Rome at one point.

Gauls of this era weren't necessarily inferior to Greeks.

While saving money, Aurelia would never joke about her son's future.

Similarly—besides academics, Aurelia, who wanted Caesar to develop comprehensively, wouldn't miss the chance to train his courage and bravery.

This was why they visited the slave market today.

Due to the Social War, the nobles were too busy to entertain themselves, making the slave market somewhat deserted.

Having two significant customers visit consecutively (first Night, then Aurelia Cotta) was unusual for the market.

Many slave traders were now eager to seize the opportunity and close a big deal with Lady Aurelia.

Night also looked with surprise at the elegant and noble woman.

After all, who doesn't love looking at beautiful women?!

Compared to the caged beauties, Aurelia's charm and intelligence made her stand out.

Although he missed the chance to see the most beautiful woman of the ancient Greece "Helen of Troy" , getting a glimpse of Caesar's mother was still a treat.

Night, being a healthy and strong man, of course—took a few appreciative glances at Aurelia before turning his attention to Caesar.

Despite Aurelia's beauty, as a married woman, she intrigued him only as a man interested in women, but not as a target.

The world is full of beautiful women, and he had no interest in being a scoundrel... unless they came to him willingly.

When Night looked at Caesar, he saw a handsome boy with slightly curly brown hair.

The boy's eyes showed a maturity beyond his years, mixed with youthful vigor.

With well-defined features, he seemed thoughtful and always wore a calm smile.

People who think are always more likable.

This might explain why, in the future, Crassus, one of Rome's triumvirs, was willing to finance the young, penniless Caesar.

Some people are born extraordinary.

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