WI Battle of Lugdunum ends in a draw?

In 196 AD Caesar Clodius Albinus former "ally" of Emperor Septimius Severus (he had helped him secure the Purple in 193 following the anarchy after Didius Julianus murder) and virtual ruler of the Western part of the Empire rebelled against Septimius Severus in Britain... With the help of 3 British Legions and one Spanish he marched against Rome... Severus who had just defeated the usurper Pescennius Niger in Asia Minor and Syria turned against him too...
Albinus easily defeated Severus's Legate Virius Lupus in Gaul thus claiming all Gaulish resources...
In February 197 AD Albinus and Severus armies clashed near Lugdunum and the battle lasted for 2 days (it was weird because at these era battles didnt last a few hours at most...) but because the 2 armies were equal the tide shifted many times during the course of the battle, with the outcome hanging in the balance. It seems Severus had the edge in cavalry which swung the battle in his favor for the final time. Exhausted and bloodied, Albinus' army was crushed.
WI both armies exhausted from the 2-day battle negotiated a mutual retreat? Or even Severus agrees to split the Empire between him and Albinus (Severus gets the East and Albinus the West...)
Could this have lead to an early split of the Empire or even a primitive Tetrarchy form?
Any thoughts?
 

Rockingham

Banned
It would be a rather smaller, weaker West Roman empire. The resources of Severus would be much greater, and so a truce/treaty would likely only be a method with which to bide his time to build a superior force.
 
It would be a rather smaller, weaker West Roman empire. The resources of Severus would be much greater, and so a truce/treaty would likely only be a method with which to bide his time to build a superior force.


Actually the same happened in Albinus's case...
After defeating Pescennius Niger in Syria Severus turned to meet with another "mere usurper" (aka Albinus) thinking it would be too easy to beat him... But when he arrived in Gaul Severus found out (to his own surprise) that Albinus's army was as strong as his own... Albinus used his 4 original Legions and raised 2 others quickly and caught Severus by surprise...
Septimius Severus was saved by his cavalry which moved fast and surrounded and cut off the centre of Albinus's army...
My opinion is that a truce and splitting the Empire is a strong possibility... West coud relay upon mineral resources and exchange iron etc with grain from the East... Any thoughts on that?
 
Top