Lucius Cornelius Cinna

Lucius Cornelius Cinna
Consul of the Roman Republic
In office 87 BC – 86 BC Serving with Gnaeus Octavius
Preceded by	Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Quintus Pompeius Rufus
Succeeded by	Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gaius Marius (Suffect: Lucius Valerius Flaccus)
Consul of the Roman Republic
In office 86 BC – 85 BC Serving with Gaius Marius
Preceded by	Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gnaeus Octavius
Succeeded by	Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gnaeus Papirius Carbo
Consul of the Roman Republic
In office 85 BC – 84 BC Serving with Gnaeus Papirius Carbo
Preceded by	Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gaius Marius (Suffect: Lucius Valerius Flaccus)
Succeeded by	Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gnaeus Papirius Carbo
Consul of the Roman Republic
In office 84 BC – 83 BC Serving with Gnaeus Papirius Carbo
Preceded by	Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gnaeus Papirius Carbo
Succeeded by	Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus Asiagenus and Gaius Norbanus
Personal details
Born	Rome, Roman Republic
Died	84 BC Roman Republic
Political party	Populares
Spouse(s)	Annia
Children	Cornelia Major Cornelia Minor Lucius Cornelius Cinna
Occupation	Statesman
Religion	Roman Paganism

Lucius Cornelius Cinna (died 84 BC) was a four-time consul of the Roman Republic, serving four consecutive terms from 87 to 84 BC, and a member of the ancient Roman Cinna family of the Cornelii gens.

Cinna's influence in Rome exacerbated the tensions which existed between Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. After the death of Marius, he became the leading power in Rome until his own death. His main impact upon Roman politics was his ability to veil his tyranny and make it appear that he was working under a constitutional government. His policies also impinged on Julius Caesar, who married his daughter.

Not much is known about Cinna before his bid for the consulship of 87 BC. He had praetorian rank in the Social War (91–88 BC), and had most likely also been praetor previous to this time. Cinna was elected as Roman consul in 87 BC, but historians disagree about who supported his election and what his own original political goals and causes were. All seem to agree on a basic chain of events, however. Cinna was elected at a time when Sulla (the current consul) was very unpopular with the lower classes and the Latin allies, because he had sided with the Roman Senate, blocking the advancement of their rights as citizens. The people had intentionally elected candidates (probably for Tribune) who were not supported by Sulla. Sulla had a little more control over the election for consul, or at least, had enough power to be certain no one who supported his rival, Marius, could be elected.

Sulla seems to have supported Cinna as a compromise candidate, but clearly did not trust him, as seen from an anecdote from Plutarch. Immediately after Cinna's election, Sulla made Cinna swear loyalty to him by taking a stone up to the Capitol and casting it down, "praying that, if he failed to preserve his goodwill for Sulla, he might be thrown out of Rome as the stone was thrown out of his hand". Somehow then, Cinna had enough support to be elected. Various theories on who supported him and why are postulated based on what he did while in office, but all agree that Sulla was correct in his distrust. Gnaeus Octavius was elected as Cinna's colleague under relatively similar circumstances, though Octavius probably had more support from Sulla.

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