Dictatorships by Hal Marcovitz
(excerpt from “The Rise of Julius Caesar”)

Sulla was a brutal and relentless dictator. But one enemy who escaped his wrath was Gaius Julius Caesar. Caesar was born in 100 BCE to a wealthy family. As a nephew of Sulla’s opponent Marius, Caesar found himself on Sulla’s list of enemies. No doubt he too would have been killed, but his family intervened, and Sulla reluctantly spared his life. Next, Sulla ordered Caesar to divorce his wife. Caesar refused and fled the city. He joined a Roman army campaigning in Turkey and did not return until after Sulla’s death in 78 BCE.
Which statement best expresses the central idea of the text?

A.
Julius Caesar was born to a wealthy family in 100 BCE.
B.
Julius Caesar was an enemy of the dictator Sulla.
C.
Julius Caesar refused to obey Sulla and divorce his wife.
D.
Julius Caesar escaped the dictator Sulla several times.