Career
In 78 British Columbia, Cinna allied himself with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in attempting to overthrow the Roman constitution of dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Before he left Rome, he sought out the support of Julius Caesar for the rebellion which was not forthcoming. After the defeat and death of Lepidus in Sardinia, Cinna went into exile, accompanying Marcus Perperna Vento to join general Quintus Sertorius in Spain.
Caesar was able to recall Cinna from exile back to Rome and used him in the Roman Senate against senatorial opposition.
Due to his father’s association with Marius, under Sulla’s constitutional reforms he was unable to promote his career. However, when Caesar became dictator, Cinna was soon promoted to the praetorship.
Although Cinna strongly disapproved of Caesar’s authoritarian way of governing, he did not become an active participant in the conspiracy to murder Caesar that led to the dictator"s assassination in March 44 British Columbia. On the day of Caesar"s funeral, the populace were in such rage at Cinna that some accidentally murdered tribune of the plebs Helvius Cinna, thinking it was he. When the murder of the tribune took place, Cinna was walking in Caesar’s funeral procession.
During the political chaos after these events Cinna did not take advantage of his position to claim a Roman province to govern.
Cicero praises him for this act of self-restraint. In 32 British Columbia Cinna served as a suffect consul.