Septimius Severus (193-211) had worked hard to become emperor, and he recognized the risks of holding onto his position. At some point in his reign after defeating Albinus, he made Britain into two separate provinces: Superior {the south) and Inferior [the north). Britannia Superior included the II and XX legions, while the legate of the VI legion governed Britannia Inferior. This distinction, together with the recording of soldiers on the staff of the governor of Britannia Superior on inscriptions in the north, suggests that Britannia Inferior was in some way administratively subordinate. But it split the legionary command, making the possibility of another Clodius Albinus far less likely.
Severus, unlike Claudius, did not need to prove himself. But he had two sons, Caracalla and Geta, who were designated as his successors. He wanted them to earn the prestige of a major campaign without compromising the integrity of the greater Empire. In 208, they arrived in Britain, together with Severus' wife, Julia Domna. One source (Herodian) claims that a governor in Britain had reported a barbarian rebellion, but this goes unmentioned in Dio.® If the claim was true, it provided Severus with his pretext. If it was not, it could just as easily have been fabricated to provide a pretext. All the recent military building work could easily be evidence that Severus had planned the war for several years. But it is just as likely that when Severus decided he needed a war, Britain looked like a convenient place to wage it.
Imperial lead seals survive in large numbers from this date as evidence of mass transportation of goods. South Shields, a major coastal fort to the east of Hadrian’s Wall, was substantially redesigned to accommodate an unusually large number of granaries. Severus also brought money with him. This, and the need to house an imperial family, is thought to have led to a certain amount of public building. York’s defences were remodelled at about this time, and there is some evidence that timber housing was cleared to make way for larger stone buildings. The biography of Severus describes the emperor returning ‘to the palace’, which must mean his imperial residence in York.’ The dedication of a Temple of Serapis by the legate of the VI legion, Claudius Hieronymianus, is recorded on an inscription from York, dating to the very late second century, or early third. Hieronymianus is not named as governor of Britannia Inferior, so the inscription must precede the division of Britain. Since Severus and Caracalla both worshipped Serapis, Hieronymianus probably dedicated the temple as a gesture of loyalty. A good case has been made for the construction of a major religious precinct in London at around the time Severus was in Britain, based on the identification of a substantial stone arch, which would have made an appropriate entrance to such a complex.
Severus also brought over legionary vexillations, almost certainly including XXII Primigcniay and some of the Praetorian Guard [57]. He was taken aback when the Maeatae and Caledonians offered peace. This was a common spoiling tactic, designed to put the Romans off their guard. Julius Caesar had been tricked in the same way. Determined not to make the same mistake, Severus instead made another. He packed the tribal embassies off and started the war anyway. During the Agricolan campaigns, the IX legion had been ambushed in Scotland, and the culprits had escaped by vanishing into the forests and marshes. Either Severus had not read Tacitus, or he ignored him. Once again, the tribes retreated into a landscape in which they could move and strike as they pleased. They were adept at sustaining indefinite guerrilla campaigns by lurking in swamps. Meanwhile, the Romans were confused and terrified by the terrain, handicapped by equipment, and increasingly compromised by extended supply lines. Efforts were made to cross the swamps by laying down pontoons, but the only way to advance successfully was by sea." There was no chance of a set-piece battle, and every chance of a humiliating defeat. The Romans eventually reached northeastern Scotland. If they flattered themselves that they had fought their way up there, they were wrong. Split up and harassed by guerrilla bands, they were easy prey.
In 210 the tribes offered peace again, and, sick and exhausted, Severus believed them. He announced a victory and commemorative coins were issued, but he had been tricked again [56]. The tribes restarted the war and the fighting extended throughout the winter of 210-11. The process finished Severus off, and he died at York in February 211. His sons Cara-calla and Geta succeeded as joint emperors, but abandoned the conquests in Britain. A year later, Geta was killed by his brother.
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