9 ▁BC . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure ▁in ▁office , ▁he , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁colle ague ▁Lu cius ▁Ca ec il ius ▁Met ell us ▁Dal m atic us , ▁opposed ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁a ▁law ▁proposed ▁by ▁G ai us ▁Mar ius , ▁then ▁a ▁Ple be ian ▁trib une , ▁which ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁reform ▁the ▁configuration ▁of ▁the ▁voting ▁bo oth s , ▁thereby ▁reducing ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁so - called ▁Opt im ates . ▁He ▁asked ▁the ▁Senate ▁to ▁order ▁Mar ius ▁to ▁present ▁himself ▁before ▁them ; ▁when ▁they ▁did ▁so , ▁Mar ius ▁respond ed ▁by ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁have ▁C otta ▁imprison ed . ▁After ▁C otta ' s ▁colle ague ▁Met ell us ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁on ▁Mar ius ’ ▁orders , ▁C otta ▁and ▁the ▁Senate ▁back ed ▁down ▁and ▁allowed ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁Mar ius ’ ▁law . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁year ▁in ▁office , ▁C otta ▁may ▁have ▁fought ▁alongside ▁Met ell us ▁in ▁the ▁campaign ▁against ▁the ▁Dal m ati ans ; ▁the ▁remaining ▁sources ▁are ▁unclear ▁if ▁he ▁actually ▁participated ▁or ▁not . ▁ ▁Family ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁was ▁cons ul ▁in ▁ 1 4 4 ▁BC . ▁He ▁had ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁children : ▁one ▁son ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁who ▁then ▁become ▁the ▁cons ul ▁in ▁ 6 5 ▁BC ▁ ▁and ▁one ▁daughter ▁A ure lia ▁C otta , ▁who ▁later ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁G ai us ▁Ca esar ▁the