> Gaius Julius Caesar came from an old but not especially wealthy family (his was a cadet branch), worked his way up the system (elected a tribune etc — didn’t

> Gaius Julius Caesar came from an old but not especially wealthy family (his was a cadet branch), worked his way up the system (elected a tribune etc — didn’t start at the bottom!) but made his fortune in the usual way, by running Spain and then winning some wars. His chief asset was the Julian name. Gaius Julius Caesar family didn't have the Auctoritas or wealth, but His uncle was Marius, the most important man in Rome and he married at a young age Marius's successor's daughter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius Sharp contrast to Pompey Magnus who was so rich his first foray into public life was using his own funds to raise a private army, without being elected or having imperium, to support Sulla.