Cornelia was Julius Caesar’s wife and the daughter of the political leader Lucius Cornelius Cinna. Their marriage linked Caesar to the faction defeated by Sulla, who demanded that he divorce her; ancient accounts say Caesar refused and suffered financial and political penalties. Caesar delivered a public funeral speech for her. After Sulla won the civil war in 82 BC, he ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia. Caesar refused, losing his priesthood and her dowry, and went into hiding until friends persuaded Sulla to pardon him. Caesar delivered a funeral oration for her in the Forum, an honor usually given only to older women, which won him popular sympathy. After about thirteen years of marriage, Cornelia died early in her husband's quaestorship, which occurred in BC 69 or 68. Caesar was due to depart for Spain, and had already pronounced the funeral oration of his aunt, Julia, from the rostra, as was customary for elderly Roman matrons. He then gave an oration in honour of Cornelia, which was extraordinary in the case of a young woman, although it later became commonplace. Historically, Cornelia is often stated to have died in childbirth, but this is not confirmed.