As a young man, Julius Caesar was merely a hopeful young Roman from an old but undistinguished patrician family. Nevertheless, he showed from the first the determination that, thanks to his skill, the support of key people and good fortune, was to propel him to supremacy over the Roman world.

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With the breakdown of the old Greek kingdoms, the Aegean Sea had become a hotbed of pirates who preyed upon the merchant shipping of such islands as Delos and Rhodes. The young Caesar was aboard a ship bound for Rhodes to study Greek oratory; however, the vessel was boarded by pirates. Realising that they had a Roman of some means aboard, the pirates brought him back to their lair and proceeded to demand a ransom of 20 talents for him: an immense sum. Caesar, however, was offended and insisted that his life was worth no less than 50 talents. The pirates were highly amused at the young man’s audacity; they jeered even harder when their hostage promised that he would return to crucify them all.

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Caesar’s contacts managed to raise the king’s ransom demanded by the pirates—or rather by Caesar. The pirates were probably glad to see the back of this arrogant young Roman who acted more like their master rather than their captive. Upon his release, the young patrician went to the safe island of Miletus and, despite being a private Roman citizen with no military or official power, he managed to assemble a naval squadron and recruit troops. With these, he returned and defeated the pirates, capturing their island base. They were dismayed that their young captive was now, as he had promised, their captor.

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Caesar brought before them before the nearest Roman governor who, however, vacillated about the pirates’ fate. The young Roman took matters into his own hands: relying on his patrician status, he marched with some attendants to the prison, took the prisoners and ensured that each of them were crucified. True to his word, Caesar displayed the initiative that was eventually to make him master of the Romans.