CINNA, LU'CIUS CORNE'LIUS, a patrician, who belonged to the party of Marina. In B.C. 86 be obtained the consulship with Octavius, who made a strenuous opposition to his proposal for recalling Marius and his party from banishment. A dispnte followed between the consuls, which was attended with bloodshed. Cinna, unable to make head against his opponents in Rome, withdrew to Tihur, Prmnests, and other neighbouring towns, to seek for aid. By thus leaving his post he resigned his office, and the senate took an early opportunity to appoint another consul, L. C. Merula, in his room. Cinna, now in concert with Marius, Carbo, and Sertorius, advanced to Rome, and laying siege to the city, the senate were forced to propose a treaty, which was at last concluded. Cinna was reinstated in the consulship, and Marius was readmitted as a Roman citizen. Marius however refused to enter the city until the sentence of banishment was formally repealed. Accordingly an assembly of the people was held; but while the votes were taking, Marius entered Rome with armed men, and forthwith proceeded to take vengeance on his opponents. Sulla's house was destroyed, and every quarter of the city was the scene of robbery and murder. Octavius, the colleague of Cinna, with many senators, fell in the massacre. The partisans of Marius were as reckless as their leader. At last Cinna and Marius themselves became desirous of putting an end to these revolting pro ceedings, and among other measures they seized on the consulship together. Marius died at the age of seventy years, on the first day of
his entering on the office. Cinna continued the usurpation which he had begun, and chose for his colleague Valerlus Flaccus, to whom he assigned the province of Asia.
When Sulla had brought the Mithridatic war to a close, he contem plated returning to Italy, in order to punish his enemies. Previously however to setting sail, he sent the senate a statement of the services he had rendered and the wrongs he had suffered, at the same time threatening his enemies with his vengeance. The senate endeavoured to appease Sulla. They also attempted to moderate the fury of Cinna, but be persisted in prosecuting the war. He made himself consul, B.C. 83, with PapiriuFs Carbo [Canso], to whom he gave the command in Gaul Cinna now prepared to oppose Sulla, and intended to meet him in Theasaly, by which route it was supposed he would return to Italy. The troops however were reluctant to embark, and an attempt to force them ended in a mutiny, in which Cinna was killed. C. Julius Ciesar married Cinna's daughter Cornelia.
(Appian, de Bell. Civ., 1, 389-97; Livius, E lxx.xiii.; Morns, iii., 21; Vellelus Pateroulus, 19-24 ; Dion Cassius in Fraym.; Plutarch, Lives of Marius and Sulk.)