The time for the consular elections was now approaching, and the Romans elected Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Gaius Terentius Varro. On their appointment, the Dictators laid down their office,
and the Consuls of the previous year, Gnaeus Servilius and Marcus Regulus — who had been appointed after the death of Flaminius — were invested with proconsular authority by Aemilius, and taking command in the field directed the operations of their forces as they thought fit.
Aemilius after consulting with the Senate at once enrolled the soldiers still wanting to make up the total levy and dispatched them to the front,
expressly ordering Servilius on no account to risk a general engagement, but to skirmish vigorously and unintermittently so as to train the lads and give them confidence for a general battle;
for they thought the chief cause of their late reverses lay in their having employed newly raised and quite untrained levies.
The Consuls also gave a legion to the Praetor Lucius Postumius, and sent him to Cisalpine <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Gaul&groupId=598&placeId=1108">Gaul</a> to create a diversion among those Celts who were serving with Hannibal,
they took measures for the return of the fleet that was wintering at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lilybaeum&groupId=690&placeId=1261">Lilybaeum</a> and sent the generals in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> all the supplies of which they had need.
The Consuls and Senate were thus occupied with these and other preparations,
and Servilius, on receiving orders from the Consuls, conducted all petty operations as they directed.
I shall therefore not make further mention of these, for nothing decisive or noteworthy was done owing to these orders and owing to circumstances,
but only numerous skirmishes and minor engagements took place in which the Roman commanders had the advantage, their conduct of the campaign being generally thought to have been both courageous and skilful.
Walbank Commentary