Editing Clodius Albinus (section)

===Declaring himself emperor===

In autumn 196, Albinus received word that Severus had appointed his elder son [[Caracalla]] as his successor with the title of Caesar and convinced the Senate to declare Albinus himself an official enemy of Rome. Now with nothing to lose, Albinus mobilized his legions in Britannia, proclaimed himself emperor (''Imperator Caesar Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Augustus'') and crossed from Britain to [[Gaul]], bringing a large part of the British garrison with him.{{Efn|Indeed, he stripped Britain of every available soldier, which meant that Severus' new administration had to deal with several rebellions, including those of the [[Maeatae]].}} He defeated Severus' legate [[Virius Lupus]], and was able to lay claim to the military resources of Gaul, but although he made [[Lugdunum]] the headquarters of his forces, he was unable to win the allegiance of the Rhine legions.<ref name="OCD"/>

On 19 February 197 Albinus met Severus' army at the [[Battle of Lugdunum]].<ref>[[Spartianus]], ''Severus'' 11</ref> After a hard-fought battle, with 150,000 troops on both sides according to [[Cassius Dio]], Albinus was defeated and killed himself, or was captured and executed on the orders of Severus.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Collingwood|first1=Robin George|last2=Myres|first2=John Nowell Linton|title=Roman Britain and English Settlements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fMcbnMFn8lcC|access-date=January 27, 2009|year=1998|publisher=Biblo & Tannen Publishers|isbn=978-0-8196-1160-4|page=155|chapter=Severeus and Albinus|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fMcbnMFn8lcC&pg=PA155}}</ref> Severus had his naked body laid out on the ground before him, so that he could ride his horse over it, in a final act of humiliation. Albinus' wife and two sons were initially pardoned by Severus, but he changed his mind almost immediately afterwards, for as the dead Albinus was beheaded, so were they. Albinus' headless body was thrown into the Rhône, together with the corpses of his murdered family. Severus sent his head to Rome as a warning to his supporters; with it he sent an insolent letter, in which he mocked the Senate for their loyalty to Albinus. The town of [[Lugdunum]] was plundered, and the adherents of Albinus were cruelly persecuted by Severus.