Scipio and his party feared Cotta, he was rich, he was a moderate, but he was a populares, and Optimates new Eperious's power across the Adriatic could be a excuse for a dictatorship to be declared, in which case the current Consuls when it was declared, would be in positions of power.
To stop this happening, Scipio (the current consul) raised a new legion to garrison Scilly and the island holdings (but really to counter the power of the first) and camped in for the moment outside mars field with the second (At this point the second were scene as the permanent garrison of Rome) "to train them" as the First was also out side Rome awaiting a triumph, this lead the borders undefended, and so Cotta was ordered north against the Celts, and away from the city.
Cotta however would not go meekly into history, he used a unclear sentence in his order of imperium in the north "And defeat and enemies of Rome that encroach into Italian land", at this time, Italy simply referred to the Italian lands under Roman rule (the rest were called Gaul) but Cotta used this as a excuse to lay siege to Segistica, and then defeat the Auedi in successive battles, tipping the balance in the Gallic civil war, and then returning to Segistica where he made many local contacts, which no doubt helped him when, in 241 he ordered the Fourth legion to be created from Ligurnia.

The public were screaming for a "double triumph" but Lativs, Cotta's old tribune was a firm favourite for next consul, and Cotta's son was a Questor. Scipio tried to remedy this, by personally commanding the second in a series of masterful victories, setting the Roman border on the River Po. However it was in vain, and on the very day Lativs (Cotta's old tribune) began his consulship (241) Cotta got his long awaited triumph.

It was a marvellous triumph, and afterwards Cotta stood for Consul, and ruled essentially through Lativs, he raised to new legions (one under the command of Blasio's son, a remarkable young man who history has forgotten) and a (in all but name) Malchos Saggolassou Pisidikes Tasivs, a Syrian Greek, the son of a Selculid general who had joined the Eporite kingdom, but after the battle of Taras, settled in Rome, and his son was given citizenship and who had a remarkable talent of being able to know everyone’s names and there family history, and being a great orator, and general.
Also Scipio retired this year, the command of the second going to a mercenary captain from Armenia.
So with the first (Cotta) the second (Zare) the third ( Lativs's son) the fourth (Pisidikes) and the fifth (Qvintivs Blasio), Rome was ready for war.

The reforms Cotta pushed through via Lativs changed the army as noted by Polybius, and signalled unknown expansion. It was in 241 that Blasio died and Cotta became the best man in Rome.

Eperious besieged Patavium, on the dawn of Cotta's consulship, he declared war (there had been a ceasefire) and the Second and fifth sailed to Eperious and Illryia.
The first attacked Patavium, and the Fourth besieged Mediolanium.
Meanwhile the third earnt it's name by attacking Sykaruse.

Cotta's wars had begun.


The World on the eave of Cotta's wars.