Simon Elliott's account begins the campaign with a delegation from northern Britain arriving while Septimius Severus made his final plans at York. Their request for peace was unsurprising in the face of the force gathered against them. Severus nevertheless sent them away because the army was already assembled and because the campaign promised martial glory and a reason to remain away from Rome. The invasion followed an imperial political choice shaped by ambition rather than an unavoidable failure of negotiation.
Notable Point · 43:29-44:37
Why Septimius Severus rejected peace in Britain
A northern delegation sought peace after Severus assembled an overwhelming force, but compromise no longer served the emperor's political and personal aims.