Editing Julius Caesar (section)

=== Entrance to politics ===
While absent from Rome, in 73&nbsp;BC, Caesar was co-opted into the [[pontifices]] in place of his deceased relative [[Gaius Aurelius Cotta]]. The promotion marked him as a well-accepted member of the aristocracy with great future prospects in his political career.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=78}} Caesar decided to return shortly thereafter and on his return was elected one of the [[military tribunes]] for 71&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Badian|2009|p=19}}; {{harvnb|Broughton|1952|pp=114, 125}}; {{harvnb|Vell. Pat.|loc=2.43.1}} (pontificate); {{harvnb|Plut. ''Caes.''|loc=5.1}} and {{harvnb|Suet. ''Iul.''|loc=5}} (military tribunate).</ref> There is no evidence that Caesar served in war – even though [[Third Servile War|the war]] on [[Spartacus]] was on-going – during his term; he did, however, agitate for the removal of Sulla's disabilities on the plebeian tribunate and for those who supported Lepidus' revolt to be pardoned.<ref>{{harvnb|Badian|2009|p=19}}, citing {{harvnb|Suet. ''Iul.''|loc=5}}.</ref> These advocacies were common and uncontroversial.{{sfn|Morstein-Marx|2021|p=63}} The next year, 70&nbsp;BC, [[Pompey]] and [[Marcus Licinius Crassus|Crassus]] were consuls and brought legislation restoring the plebeian tribunate's rights; one of the tribunes, with Caesar supporting, then brought legislation pardoning the Lepidan exiles.<ref>{{harvnb|Badian|2009|pp=19–20|ps=, also noting senatorial support for the pardons}}; {{harvnb|Broughton|1952|pp=126, 128, 130 n. 4|ps=, argues the tribunician law recalling the Lepidan exiles must postdate the consular law in 70 which removed Sulla's suppression of tribunician legislative initiative.}}</ref>

For his quaestorship in 69&nbsp;BC, Caesar was allotted to serve under [[Gaius Antistius Vetus (praetor 70 BC)|Gaius Antistius Vetus]] in [[Hispania Ulterior]]. His election also gave him a lifetime seat in the Senate. However, before he left, his aunt Julia, the widow of Marius died and, soon afterwards, his wife Cornelia died shortly after bearing his only legitimate child, [[Julia (daughter of Caesar)|Julia]]. He gave eulogies for both at public funerals.<ref>{{harvnb|Badian|2009|p=20}}; {{harvnb|Broughton|1952|p=132}}. {{harvnb|Badian|2009|p=21}} cites {{harvnb|Suet. ''Iul.''|loc=6.1}} for the incipit of Caesar's eulogy.</ref> During Julia's funeral, Caesar displayed the images of his aunt's husband Marius, whose memory had been suppressed after Sulla's victory in the civil war. Some of the Sullan nobles – including [[Quintus Lutatius Catulus Capitolinus|Quintus Lutatius Catulus]] – who had suffered under the Marian regime objected, but by this point depictions of husbands in aristocratic women's funerary processions was common.{{sfn|Morstein-Marx|2021|p=43}} Contra Plutarch,{{sfn|Plut. ''Caes.''|loc=5.2–3}} Caesar's action here was likely in keeping with a political trend for reconciliation and normalisation rather than a display of renewed factionalism.{{sfn|Morstein-Marx|2021|pp=43–46}} Caesar quickly remarried, taking the hand of Sulla's granddaughter [[Pompeia (wife of Caesar)|Pompeia]].<ref>{{harvnb|Morstein-Marx|2021|p=46|ps=, noting also that Plutarch omits this detail likely because it "would indeed have been embarrassing for his Marian representation of Caesar" (internal citations and quotation marks omitted).}}</ref>