Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/210

196 The Civil War and the Laws of Cinna. — After the departure of Sulla, Lucius Cinna, who had received a bribe from the adherents of Marius, proposed that the new citizens and the freedmen be enrolled in all the districts — a renewal of the Sulpician law — and that Marius and the others who had been declared public enemies with him should be restored. When he disregarded tribunician intercession and attempted to carry his proposals by force, he was driven out of the city by Octavius, amidst terrible bloodshed. He was thereupon deposed as consul by a senatorial decree, and another consul was elected. The conservatives did not follow up their victory, however, and Cinna obtained the support of the army before Nola, and especially of the new citizens. Following the pernicious example of Sulla, he marched on Rome and united with Marius. To get aid in this emergency, the senate apparently extended the term of the Plautio-Papirian law and conferred citizenship on all the Italian communities that had laid down their arms, but had hitherto remained destitute of rights (dediticii). Nevertheless, it was compelled to surrender. Marius demanded that the bill in regard to himself and the other exiles should be passed. This was accordingly done. With his entrance into the city merciless slaughter of the adherents of the aristocracy began. Of the eminent men the consul Octavius, the ex-censor L. Julius Caesar, the orator M. Antonius, and others were slain. Finally Quintus Sertorius put an end to the wholesale butchery by cutting down Marius's bodyguard of bandits. Sulla was declared a public enemy, his house was leveled with the ground, his property confiscated, and his laws declared null and void.

Supremacy of Cinna. — For 86 Cinna appointed himself and Marius consuls without any election. Marius died shortly after, on the thirteenth of January. Cinna then