Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther first attained public office in 63 BC (the year of Cicero's consulship) when he was voted "curule aedile". As curule aedile, Spinther assisted Cicero in the suppression of the Catiline conspiracy, and in that office he also distinguished himself by the splendour of the games he provided (though the royal purple stripe he used on his toga is said to have offended many Romans to whom purple was connected with royalty and therefore anathema to a good Roman).