Fortunately Marius died sixteen days after he entered office, and the shedding of blood ceased.
For the next three years Cinna ruled Rome.

Constitutional government was practically suspended.

For the years 85 and 84 Cinna himself and a trusty colleague were Consuls, but no regular elections were held.

In 84, he was murdered, when on the eve of setting out against Sulla in Asia.
Sulla left Italy for the East with 30,000 troops.

He marched against Athens, where Archelaus, the general of Mithradates, was intrenched.
After a long siege, he captured and pillaged the city, March 1, 86.