Caesar left Rome and joined the army. He became a military assistant to the provincial governor. He was assigned to Cilicia, to whom he proved himself a courageous and capable. After leaving the army, he went south of Italy and improved his education. He was found to be a great public speaker. In 78 BCE, Sulla died, making it safe for Julius to return to Rome. In 74 BCE, he fought Mithradates VI Eupator (king of Pontus). In 69 BCE, Caesar went to Rhodes, but the ship he was on was captured by pirates. He was held hostage for about 40 days (the pirates put a large ransom on him). While being held hostage, he told the pirates jokingly that he would have them crucified. This was no joke, however! After his release, Caesar hunted down the pirates and had them crucified.
|  A Soldier's Helmet in Ancient Rome |
