Any fans of Septimius Severus out there??

[PhilusEstilius]

Tim.
I think it might have been a situation where Albinus being also a north African felt that he trusted a fellow countryman who had got him off the hook with his soldiers for a while.
Then after Severus had delt with Persennius Niger poor Clodius had to follow up what his soldiers had wanted him to do about a year earlier, but sadly Albinus had to get his 40,000 or so troops over the channel and also a long march.

[starman2012]

Tim.
I think it might have been a situation where Albinus being also a north African felt that he trusted a fellow countryman who had got him off the hook with his soldiers for a while.
Then after Severus had delt with Persennius Niger poor Clodius had to follow up what his soldiers had wanted him to do about a year earlier, but sadly Albinus had to get his 40,000 or so troops over the channel and also a long march.

If he was afraid of his soldiers, maybe he would've welcomed a request to go to Rome, and he was also on good terms with the Senate so... mile:

[PhilusEstilius]

I think that an invitation to go to Rome by a man like Severus was much more deadly than any of the soldiers of Albinus.

[starman2012]

I think that an invitation to go to Rome by a man like Severus was much more deadly than any of the soldiers of Albinus.

Yes but would he necessarily know it? Rome was where his senatorial friends were, life was more congenial there and he was after all, an emperor, so, why stay in the "boondocks"?

[PhilusEstilius]

I think the situation was where Severus may have been a little nervous of Albinus when he had to go east to sort out the problem of Niger and this was why he promised Clodius a title of Caesar.
What could have come down on him was 40,000 or even more had the legions of Germania gone over to Albinus, and this lot could have been right at his back while off in Syria.
Had Albinus have gone to Rome on invitation he would not have had an army and Severus could well have put away all the friendly Senators along with poor old Clodius.

[starman2012]

I think the situation was where Severus may have been a little nervous of Albinus when he had to go east to sort out the problem of Niger and this was why he promised Clodius a title of Caesar.
What could have come down on him was 40,000 or even more had the legions of Germania gone over to Albinus, and this lot could have been right at his back while off in Syria.

Right, Severus had no choice.

Had Albinus have gone to Rome on invitation he would not have had an army and Severus could well have put away all the friendly Senators along with poor old Clodius.

Right, tricking him into abandoning military support would've been the whole point of the excercise and knocking off his friends an added bonus perhaps. mile: