Cinna

Cinna, LUCIUS CORNELIUS, a Roman patrician, one of the principal supporters of the faction of Marius. After Sulla had driven Marius from the city, and before setting out on his expedition against Mithridates, he allowed Cinna to be elected to the consulship on condition of his swearing not to disturb the constitution as then existing. No sooner, however, had he entered upon that office (87 B.C.) than he impeached Sulla, endeavoured to form an interest among the citizens who had been added to Rome after the Social War, and agitated for the recall of Marius (q.v.). Cinna and Marius next declared themselves consuls after a cruel massacre of the Roman citizens, in which some of the most eminent citizens were slain. On the death of Marius, which occurred within a few days of his usurpation, Cinna made L. Valerius Flaccus his colleague for that year, and C. Papirius Carbo for the two succeeding years. In 84 B.C. he prepared to meet Sulla, who was then on his way from the East to take vengeance upon his enemies, but was slain by his disaffected troops at Brundusium. During his fourth consulate his daughter Cornelia had been married to Julius Cæsar.