1 If both consuls were ordered away from Rome, it was necessary for them to decide by lot which should return to preside at the elections.
2 This device had rarely been resorted to in recent years. Members of the senate were chosen in order to serve for five days each, and the interrex (the name survived from the period of the monarchy) either held the election or nominated another interrex. Minucius' proposal probably had some political motive, but the facts are unknown.
3 B.C. 193
4 The M. Marcellus of v. 1 above. Marcellus as consul had fought the Gauls with indifferent success, although he had been granted a triumph over the Insubres and Comenses (XXXIII. xxxvii. 10). We have no means of verifying either the account which Livy gives of the battle (which is on the whole sympathetic towards Cornelius) or Marcellus' less favourable interpretation, which may have been inspired partly by jealousy, partly by political rivalry. This, however, did not prevent Cornelius from leaving him in command, although there was a hostile explanation of this action: cf. viii. 1-5 and the note below.
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