[...]Among Sulla’s reforms was a housecleaning of Cinna’s appointees, including Caesar as flamen dialis. Doubtless, Caesar was relieved to be free of this burden, but he was still in danger as a nephew of Marius and son-in-law of Cinna. Sulla however, was uncharacteristically merciful to young Caesar and merely demanded that he divorce Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. Sulla had commanded several of his own followers, including Pompey, to put aside their wives because of inimical family connections, and all had promptly complied. It was a very reasonable order given the circumstances, and everyone naturally assumed Caesar would do as he was told. But Caesar looked Sulla in the eye and refused. Sulla and his followers were stunned. Whether out of stubbornness, audacity, or simply love, Caesar was defying a man who had ordered the murder of thousands. In doing so, he lost everything he owned, and was now marked for death on the proscription lists. The tale of defiance against Sulla is one of the earliest episodes that survive about Caesar’s life, but it tell us volumes about his character.
Julius Caesar, Philip Freeman.
