brutus held his uncle in high regard. his political career began when he became an assistant to cato, during his governorship of cyprus. during this time, brutus enriched himself by lending money at high rates of interest. he returned to rome a rich man, where he married claudia pulchra. from his first appearance in the senate, brutus aligned with the optimates. this was the conservative faction against the first triumvirate of marcus licinius crassus, gnaeus pompeius magnus and gaius julius caesar.