Gaius Flavius Fimbria (cavalry prefect)

Gaius Flavius Fimbria
Cistophorus minted by Fimbria in Pergamum after he took the city in 85 BC[1]
Personal details
Born	115 or 114 BC
Died	85 BC (aged 29–30) Pergamum, Roman Asia (modern-day Bergama, İzmir, Turkey)
Cause of death	suicide
Nationality	Roman
Military service
Allegiance	Roman Republic Marius and Cinna
Years of service	87–85 BC
Rank	Probably cavalry prefect and pro-quaestor
Commands	Fimbrian legions
Battles/wars	Bellum Octavianum First Mithridatic War

Gaius Flavius Fimbria (c. 115 – 85 BC) was a Roman general. Born to a recently distinguished senatorial family, he became one of the most violent and bloodthirsty partisans of the consul Cornelius Cinna and his ally, Gaius Marius, in the civil war of 87 BC. During the conflict, Fimbria served them as both cavalry commander and negotiator, and took a leading part in the political purges that followed their capture of Rome, putting a number of prominent aristocrats to death.

In 85 BC, during an expedition to Asia Minor, Fimbria took command of the army by instigating a mutiny and murdering his superior. He successfully conducted Rome's ongoing war against the Pontic king Mithridates, recovering much of the province of Asia, ravaging the surroundings and treating the conquered provincials with much savagery. He committed suicide after the troops deserted to a rival Roman general in the vicinity, Sulla. Fimbria's contemporary Cicero remembered him as "the most audacious madman of his times".^[2]