Gnaeus Octavius - Conflict With Cinna

Conflict With Cinna

Things came to a head when the Plebeian tribunes who supported Octavius vetoed the law in the Tribal Assembly. Cinna and his supporters began using violence to intimidate the tribunes to withdraw their veto, leading to a full scale riot in the Roman forum. Octavius quickly gathered an armed group of supporters and attacked Cinna, who was forced to flee the city. During the fight, Octavius’ men openly murdering a large number of newly enfranchised citizens, with Octavius using his authority as consul to justify the murders.

Octavius then illegally stripped Cinna of his consulship and his citizenship, and had elected in his stead Lucius Cornelius Merula. Hearing that Cinna had gained the support of the army of Appius Claudius at Nola, Octavius and the Senate began preparing Rome to withstand a siege, whilst sending out appeals to the various promagistrates to come to the assistance of the Senate. Pompeius Strabo was initially unwilling to cooperate with Octavius, but eventually moved his troops to the vicinity of Rome, just outside the Colline Gate.

When Cinna and Marius began their siege of Rome, Octavius attempted to drive a wedge in their ranks by offering all the Italian allies who were supporting Cinna the citizenship if they surrendered by the end of 87. Strabo in the meantime, playing a double game with both Octavius and Cinna, attempted to convince Octavius to enter into negotiations with Cinna. An attack by the Marian forces took the Janiculum, but they were repulsed by Octavius and Strabo, but Octavius suffered serious losses. The losses incurred by Octavius and the sudden death of Strabo soon after saw his army become increasingly demoralized. He lost 6,000 troops in the battle, while Strabo had lost some 11,000, both through the fighting and a plague that was running through his army. Due to the fear of famine in Rome, Octavius joined his men to Strabo’s units, positioned outside the gates, after which he fled from Rome.

Meeting up with Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius and Publius Licinius Crassus (who had eventually obeyed Octavius’ plea to return to Rome) at the Alban Hills, he was frustrated when they began to negotiate with Cinna, even going so far recognizing Cinna as consul. Fearful at these turn of events, and at news that the Senate was also contemplating coming to terms with Cinna, he fell out with Metellus Pius, who had initially refused his soldier’s demands that he take command from Octavius. The army’s apparent disloyalty finally convinced Octavius to return to Rome.