Gaius Papirius Carbo Arvina belonged to a large generation of Roman orators whose members were all born around 124 BC and flourished during the youth of Cicero.
[4] In 91 BC, Carbo Arvina was an opponent of the abortive political reforms promoted Crassus and his pupil, the tribune Marcus Livius Drusus.
[6] During the interlude between the civil wars of 87 and 82 BC, Arvina made some rare appearances in the courts as an advocate;[7] Cicero describes him as one of the few orators of note still active at the time.
[8] He cooperated carefully with the government at the time, which was dominated by Cornelius Cinna and Arvina's cousin, Gnaeus Carbo,[7] and held the office of praetor in one of those years.
[13] Cicero, who heard the tribunes of 90 BC speak in the popular assemblies,[2] identified Arvina as a second class orator, and described his style of rhetoric as follows: "his language was tolerably nervous, he spoke with ease, and there was an air of authority in his address that was perfectly natural".