Julius Caesar came from a noble but financially struggling patrician family. As a youth in Rome, he was connected to powerful political figures like his uncle Marius but found himself in danger when his father-in-law Cinna opposed Sulla. Caesar left Italy during Sulla's dictatorship and gained military honors while serving abroad. He was rumored to have had an improper relationship with the King of Bithynia. Upon returning to Rome, Caesar began his rise in politics and gained attention for prosecuting former consuls and governors.