Julius Caesar' debts

[Novosedoff]

Hi,

Plutarch mentioned that Caesar was deeply in debt by 65 BC when he became an  aedile (the beginning of his political career) and owed 1,300 talents. It's curious that talent is the mass measurement equal to 5,300 denarii, while 1 denarius equalled 4 sesterces. This means that Caesar owed 27.5 mln sesterces. For comparison, Cicero purchased his luxury house on the Palatine hill for 3.5 mln sesterces. This means Caesar owed the amount of debt equal to the cost of nearly 8 such houses. So the question I have to ask here is who lent that much to the yet unknown politician and why?

 

Thanks

Edited February 20, 2022 by Novosedoff

[caldrail]

Friends, family, associates, and anyone who planned a return on the deal. Romans had a bad habit of using people they knew as 'credit cards', and for that matter, earning interest from anyone who needed money.

[Pompieus]

Probably most prominent among them was Crassus (who could afford it).  Rumor had Caesar abetting several of Crassus' intrigues in 65-64 BC, and in 61 BC Crassus underwrote Caesar's debts so he could depart for Spain as propraetor (Plutarch Caes xi).

Edited February 26, 2022 by Pompieus

[Novosedoff]

17 hours ago, Pompieus said:

Probably most prominent among them was Crassus (who could afford it).  Rumor had Caesar abetting several of Crassus' intrigues in 65-64 BC, and in 61 BC Crassus underwrote Caesar's debts so he could depart for Spain as propraetor (Plutarch Caes x

See attached