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| Date |
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30 - 62 (dates approximate) |
| Who |
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Boudica, Celtic tribeswoman
(Also spelt Boudicca, Boudicae and Boadicae) |
| Location |
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Roman Britain |
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| Life |
Born in South East England, Boudica was about 18 when she married the King of the Iceni Tribe, Prasutagus. When the Romans conquered southern Britain, they allowed Prasutagus and Boudica to continue ruling, but under the authority of Rome. This meant that the tribe was subject to slavery and high taxes. Upon Prasutagus death, he divided his property between his two daughters and the Roman Emperor Nero. It is believed that this was a safeguard and that Prasutagus was hoping that the Romans would be content with part of his extensive and wealthy estate. However, the Roman Governor in Britain, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, decided to take all (technically as Prasutagus was a client King to the Romans the Governor was within his power to seize the entire property). The Governor flogged Boudica and raped her young daughters, inciting the anger of several tribes. This treatment of Boudica and her daughters was actually condemned by the Roman writers, notably Tacitus, who recorded the story of Boudica. Prasutagus was a Roman Citizen, making it likely that Boudica and the daughters were too and this treatment of Roman Citizens or pro-Romans was totally illegal.
While Suetonius was fighting in North Wales, Boudica, angered, united the tribes against the Romans into a rebellion. At first they had great success, they took the Roman British Capital Colchester. Having taken, sacked and burned the city, she progressed towards London. Suetonius, now returning South to face Boudica, realised he did not have enough troops and allowed her to take the city, sack and burn it. While Suetonius gathered troops, Boudica takes, sacks and burns her final city of Verulamium (St. Albans). Boudica and her force were violent and ruthless, estimates of the resultant death toll are around 80,000. By this time the Romans had assembled their force and the final battle took place.
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| Death |
The location of the final battle, around 60-62, between the Romans and Boudica’s forces is not known. Estimates of British deaths vary from 80,000 to 200,000, but Roman deaths are estimated at only around 400. Roman writers claim that the Romans won such a decisive victory because they were better organised, superior fighters, wore armoured, practised advanced tactics and were far more civilised. The cause of death of Boudica and her daughters is unknown, whether, as is famously told, she poisoned herself to avoid capture or died of wounds, illness or from grief we may never know.
Boudica is immortalised by a statue built in London to symbolise the freedom and spirit of British people. Ironically, the statue is to protect the people of the City which, two thousand years ago, she stripped and burnt to the ground.
Some Historians see the lack of archaeological evidence of either a final battle, the Iceni’s or Boudica herself as suggestive that she may not even have existed. The only evidence to confirm Tacitus’s account (there are other accounts, but Tacitus is writing nearest to the time) is a layer of fire damage, dated to 60-61, at the three cities of London, Colchester and Verulamium. This suggests the events Tactius described did happen, but maybe not by Boudica. It is also not known whether Tacitus or other Romans would have been acquainted with the accurate events of Roman movements in Britain.
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