Boudica (Boudicca, Boadicea or a number of other spellings)
Her army slashed its way through a Roman legion (a greatly outnumbered Roman legion). She set London ablaze before it was London and the scorched earth can still be found as a charred layer two feet thick in some places beneath modern London. Her army killed as many as 75,000 civilians in three cities and near 15,000 roman soldiers…then she herself died.
To learn what set her off onto this rampage against Rome we must learn something about this woman’s life and something of the history preceding the events that lead to her eventual death.
Most of Boudicca’s life is unknown but there are many tidbits that can be pieced together a large portion of which is myth and legend. There are only two actual written accounts that she ever existed. One was written by Dio Cassius who was not even born until over a century after the fact and the other is Tacitus who was born around 56 BC which is when some of the events were taking place…but at that time I doubt he even knew how to write let alone talk. The rest is mainly oral history and as I said myth and legend.
Most of the below is information obtained from the three books listed at the end of this article. Some information was obtained from articles on military history and from talking with some historians I know. The only information provided below is information that the majority of the sources agreed upon. Much more could been written and talked about but I am not planning on writing a book so here are the main points as I see them.
She was born around 24 AD (give or take a few years) to a royal family in what is now Britain and was married to a man who would later become King of the Iceni. He would die during the Roman attack on the Isle of Mona at which time the sacred groves were cut down and most of the druids slaughtered.
To think nearly one hundred years earlier her people had welcomed the Romans…well sort of.
In 43 AD Emperor Claudius invaded Britannia and Boudicca’s life would forever change and within a few short years Roam would gain a foothold in Britain. There was an unsettled peace but things would change when a few tribes rebelled. Her own among them and in the process their King died leaving her husband as King of the Iceni and her the Queen.
In 58 AD things began to change once again when Caius Suetonius Paullinus became governor and within three years Boudicca’s husband would be dead, her lands taken by Rome. She would be repeatedly flogged and her daughters raped many times and within a few years she would be dead herself. But before her death she would have her vengeance.
Note…It would take Rome about 40 years to honestly say they controlled Britain…well a good portion of it anyway.
Boudica’s final battle…my own opinion.
All any one person truly wants is to be left alone to live their life as they see fit. As long as that is all they want then let them have it. If they do not infringe upon others rights to live their lives then all can live in peace. Step upon my rights and you will have war. The saying goes that the victorious write history…in truth they never write the entire truth.
It is said that in the final battle of Boudicca’s reign that her army comprised of near 250,000 and that no less than 80,000 of her followers died in the final battle that brought about her death…both are lies. It is also said that the Roman army consisted of only about 10,000 and lost only 400 dead and about 600 wounded…more lies. There were at least three legions of roman soldiers involved and perhaps more. A legion of roman soldiers consists of 6,000 men all well trained and highly skilled in the art of killing. Rome had to send anywhere from 7,000 to 20,000 soldiers to Britain in order to bring garrisons back to full strength after Boudicca had been defeated (depending on who you believe). I will grant that Boudicca’s army outnumbered the Roman army but there is a great doubt in my mind that an army of 250,000 on the battlefield will lose to a mere 10,000 man army even if they are the best in the world at that time. Yes I know all the stories about the location of the battle and how the entrance was narrow and the trees covered the Romans back and flanks…what a bunch of crap that is. There is no record from anyone who was actually there as to where the battle took place or how many soldiers where on the field of battle. The only record whatsoever of where the battle took place or how many on either side were involved was written by a man who was not out of diapers yet. With any common sense at all on the part of the 250,000…the 10,000 Romans, trees or not…lose…big time. Boudicca’s army consisted mainly of tribal warriors who have been using guerilla tactics against the Romans for years…they know how to fight using the cover of trees. Place them on an open battlefield or in a forest and the Romans lose in a matter of minutes if these reported numbers are correct. Place them in a confined space…say cliffs guarding the Romans flanks then add a narrow entrance so that only a limited number of the enemy can face you at any time…now the more highly trained Roman army can defend itself and hold out for a while…but against 250,000 hmmm well a lot of death will be dealt and eventually Boudica and her followers might give the Romans the day but she would not be totally defeated. Even losing 80 or even 100 thousand they would still greatly outnumber the Romans. I doubt with that many they would ever give up...the Romans still lose…this reminds me of the ancient Greek-Persian battle at Thermopylae were a few thousand Greeks held off the mighty Persian army until finally they were outflanked and beaten down by shear force of numbers and some treachery.
In all truth nobody knows how many were in Boudicca’s army or how many actual legionnaires were there…the Romans were notorious for exaggerating the size of the enemy and the number of enemy dead while lowering their own numbers and number of dead to make themselves look better. I would venture a guess that Boudicca only had about 40 to 50 thousand and the Romans were between 15 and 25 thousand strong. The Romans had the greater advantage of weapons, skill, ability, tactics, leadership and most of all…location. There is no doubt the Romans won the day…the doubt lies in just how close did they come to losing. Many scholars and historians believe that if Boudica had been able to pull off a victory in this battle then the Romans would have pulled out of Britannia…at least for a while but the fact is…she lost but in the end did she really win as many believe…no she lost and over time her people lost their way of life.
Books to read…
Boudica Queen of the Iceni by Joseph Roesch
Boudica by Vanessa Collingridge
Boudica, Queen of the Iceni by Marlene Sosebee _________________ All poems and stories posted by Eiregirl are
Copyright 2005 - 2008 Aoibhegréine
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