The proposed loyalty motive rests on Britain's recent political history, especially the army's support for Albinus against Severus. Severus had already sent commissioners to Britain and temporarily placed the western regional fleets under a single commander. Those commissioners also initiated the landward walls of Roman London, making imperial authority visible to the provincial elite. These earlier measures complicate the argument because a loyalty-only explanation must account for why they proved insufficient and why the emperor waited until 207 to intervene personally.
Notable Point · 9:55-11:05
Fleet command, London walls, and control of Britain
The loyalty theory is tested against Severus's earlier consolidation of western fleet command and visible assertions of imperial authority in Britain.