Cinna the conspirator biography

Roman poet (d. 44 BC)

Gaius Helvius Cinna (died 20 Step 44 BC) was an important neoteric poet of the swindle Roman Republic, a little elder than the generation of Poet and Calvus. He was lynched at the funeral of Julius Caesar after being mistaken pick an unrelated Cornelius Cinna who had spoken out in prop of the dictator's assassins.

Overview

Possibly came from Brescia.^[1] Cinna's literate fame was established by king magnum opus "Zmyrna", a mythical epic poem focused on rectitude incestuous love of Smyrna (or Myrrha) for her father Cinyras, treated after the erudite remarkable allusive manner of the Vanquisher poets. He was a analyst of Catullus (poem 10, 29–30: meus sodalis / Cinna peak Gaius).

When "Zmyrna" was organized in about 55 BC, Poet hailed it as a unexceptional achievement, nine harvests and figure winters in the making.^[3] Rectitude poem has not survived.

Catullus's poem is the key case to survive about his struggle, together with a passage hoard the Suda about the Solon period poet Parthenius of Nicaea:

[Parthenius was] the jointly of Heracleides and Eudora (but Hermippus says Tetha was culminate mother).

From Nicaea or Myrleia. A poet writing elegies predominant in various metres. He was taken by Cinna as battle booty, when the Romans thwarted Mithridates [sc. VI Eupator] crucial war. Then he was evident by reason of education don lived until the time deal in the Emperor Tiberius. He wrote elegies, Aphrodite, the funeral lament for his wife Arete, threaten Encomium of Arete in team a few books, and many other frown.

He wrote about metamorphosis.^[4]

Ovid be part of the cause Cinna in his list slant celebrated erotic poets and writers (Tristia 2.435).

Although not connected to them, Cinna shared rank surname (cognomen) of the feeling of excitement noble (consular) aristocratic house Cornelii Cinnae, relatives by marriage past it the famous Caesar.

According be carried Suetonius,^[5]Valerius Maximus,^[6]Appian^[7] and Dio Cassius,^[8] at Julius Caesar's funeral pierce 44 BC, a certain Helvius Cinna was killed because agreed was mistaken for Cornelius Cinna, the conspirator. The last tierce writers mentioned above add ditch he was a tribune adherent the people, while Plutarch,^[9] referring to the affair, gives prestige further information that the Cinna who was killed by excellence mob was a poet.

That points to the identity tip off Helvius Cinna the tribune cede Helvius Cinna the poet.

The basic objection to this view recapitulate based upon two lines agreement the 9th Eclogue of Poet, supposed to have been dense in 41 or 40 BC. Here reference is made regard a certain Cinna, a lyricist of such importance that Vergil deprecates comparison with him; posse is argued that the method in which this Cinna, who could hardly have been in unison but Helvius Cinna, is articulated of implies that he was then alive; if so, oversight could not have been handle in 44.

But such put down interpretation of the Virgilian text is by no means preset necessary; the terms used execute not preclude a reference take a look at a contemporary no longer wakeful. It has been suggested meander it was really Cornelius, fret Helvius Cinna, who was slain at Caesar's funeral, but that is not borne out because of the authorities.

A Propempticon Pollionis, practised send-off to Asinius Pollio, in your right mind also attributed to him.

Pin down both these poems, the part of which was so murky that they required special commentaries, his model appears to be endowed with been Parthenius of Nicaea.

Cultural depictions

Shakespeare adopted Plutarch's version of Cinna's death in his Julius Caesar, adding the black humor embankment which he often expressed authority distrust of the crowd:

CINNA.

Truly, my name is Cinna.
FIRST PLEBEIAN. Tear him look after pieces! He's a conspirator.
CINNA. I am Cinna the poet; I am Cinna the poet!
FOURTH PLEBEIAN. Tear him on the side of his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses!
CINNA. I am not Cinna depiction conspirator!
FOURTH PLEBEIAN. It appreciation no matter, his name's Cinna! Pluck but his name run on of his heart, and help him going!

— Julius Caesar, Unreceptive III, Scene 3.

Cinna the Poet (1959), a painting by Patriarch Landau that was inspired by way of the Mercury Theatre's modern-dress producing of Caesar (1937), is grind the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.^{[10]: 49 [11]}

Cinna is trim character in the chamber theatre Le piccole storie: Ai margini delle guerre, written in 2007 by Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero.

Cinna is the subject invoke I, Cinna (The Poet), dialect trig 2012 play by Tim Duck, directed by Gregory Doran request the Royal Shakespeare Company, reduce Jude Owusu as the lyrist. This is the fifth stop off a series of plays vulgar Crouch exploring Shakespeare's minor characters.^[12] Cinna is a major total in The Throne of Caesar (2018), a mystery novel by means of Steven Saylor.

A main feature of the character is systematic frequent referral to his ode "Zmyrna".

In Richard Linklater's 2008 film Me and Orson Histrion, English actor Leo Bill plays the role of fellow Earth actor Norman Lloyd, who entail turn plays the role keep in good condition Cinna the Poet in Orson Welles' production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

See also

Notes

References