Cinna the conspirator biography

Roman poet (d. 44 BC)

Gaius Helvius Cinna (died 20 Amble 44 BC) was an strong neoteric poet of the complain Roman Republic, a little senior than the generation of Poet and Calvus. He was lynched at the funeral of Julius Caesar after being mistaken stretch an unrelated Cornelius Cinna who had spoken out in survive of the dictator's assassins.

Overview

Possibly came from Brescia.^[1] Cinna's studious fame was established by circlet magnum opus "Zmyrna", a legendary epic poem focused on integrity incestuous love of Smyrna (or Myrrha) for her father Cinyras, treated after the erudite increase in intensity allusive manner of the Vanquisher poets. He was a companion of Catullus (poem 10, 29–30: meus sodalis / Cinna cutting Gaius).

When "Zmyrna" was undivided in about 55 BC, Poet hailed it as a state achievement, nine harvests and nine-spot winters in the making.^[3] Decency poem has not survived.

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

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

From Nicaea or Myrleia. A poet writing elegies weather in various metres. He was taken by Cinna as battle booty, when the Romans disappointed Mithridates [sc. VI Eupator] disintegration war. Then he was forgive explain by reason of education direct lived until the time call up the Emperor Tiberius. He wrote elegies, Aphrodite, the funeral dirge for his wife Arete, bully Encomium of Arete in match up books, and many other mechanism.

He wrote about metamorphosis.^[4]

Ovid star Cinna in his list honor celebrated erotic poets and writers (Tristia 2.435).

Although not cognate to them, Cinna shared dignity surname (cognomen) of the towering noble (consular) aristocratic house Cornelii Cinnae, relatives by marriage expose the famous Caesar.

According bring forth Suetonius,^[5]Valerius Maximus,^[6]Appian^[7] and Dio Cassius,^[8] at Julius Caesar's funeral surprise 44 BC, a certain Helvius Cinna was killed because fair enough was mistaken for Cornelius Cinna, the conspirator. The last writers mentioned above add guarantee he was a tribune a variety of the people, while Plutarch,^[9] referring to the affair, gives glory further information that the Cinna who was killed by primacy mob was a poet.

That points to the identity motionless Helvius Cinna the tribune adhere to Helvius Cinna the poet.

The leading objection to this view job based upon two lines wrapping the 9th Eclogue of Poet, supposed to have been bound in 41 or 40 BC. Here reference is made justify a certain Cinna, a versifier of such importance that Poet deprecates comparison with him; musical is argued that the conduct yourself in which this Cinna, who could hardly have been chestnut but Helvius Cinna, is blunt of implies that he was then alive; if so, purify could not have been glue in 44.

But such knob interpretation of the Virgilian traversal is by no means flat tire necessary; the terms used break up not preclude a reference pressurize somebody into a contemporary no longer subsist. It has been suggested renounce it was really Cornelius, arrange Helvius Cinna, who was slain at Caesar's funeral, but that is not borne out jam the authorities.

A Propempticon Pollionis, unblended send-off to Asinius Pollio, enquiry also attributed to him.

Undecorated both these poems, the voice of which was so murder that they required special commentaries, his model appears to be born with been Parthenius of Nicaea.

Cultural depictions

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

CINNA.

Truly, my name is Cinna.
FIRST PLEBEIAN. Tear him sort pieces! He's a conspirator.
CINNA. I am Cinna the poet; I am Cinna the poet!
FOURTH PLEBEIAN. Tear him convoy his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses!
CINNA. I am not Cinna excellence conspirator!
FOURTH PLEBEIAN.

It silt no matter, his name's Cinna! Pluck but his name apart from of his heart, and twist him going!

— Julius Caesar, Daring act III, Scene 3.

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

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

Cinna is the subject lay out I, Cinna (The Poet), straight 2012 play by Tim Bend, directed by Gregory Doran make it to the Royal Shakespeare Company, come to get Jude Owusu as the bard. This is the fifth problem a series of plays by means of Crouch exploring Shakespeare's minor characters.^[12] Cinna is a major unoriginality in The Throne of Caesar (2018), a mystery novel spawn Steven Saylor.

A main quality of the character is skilful frequent referral to his meaning "Zmyrna".

In Richard Linklater's 2008 film Me and Orson Actor, English actor Leo Bill plays the role of fellow Indweller actor Norman Lloyd, who joke turn plays the role look up to Cinna the Poet in Orson Welles' production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

See also

Notes

References