Information AboutBoudica |
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In 60 or 61, while governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was leading a campaign against the Druids on the island of Anglesey in north Wales , the Iceni and their neighbours, the Trinovantes , rebelled, and led by Boudica, destroyed the former Trinovantian capital and Roman '' Colonia '' of Camulodunum ( Colchester ), and routed the Roman Legio IX ''Hispana'' under Quintus Petillius Cerialis . Boudica's army then burned to the ground the twenty-year-old settlement of Londinium ( London ) and destroyed Verulamium ( St Albans ), killing an estimated 70,000-80,000 people. Roman Emperor Nero briefly considered withdrawing Roman forces from the island, but ultimately Boudica was defeated at the Battle Of Watling Street by the heavily outnumbered forces of Roman provincial governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus . The chronicles of these events, as recorded by the historians and led to a resurgence of Boudica's legendary fame during the Victorian Era , when Queen Victoria was portrayed as her "namesake". Boudica has since remained an important cultural symbol in the United Kingdom. BACKGROUND Boudica or Boadicea? Until recently, Boudica was known as Boadicea, which is probably derived from a mistranscription when a manuscript of Tacitus was copied in the 2005 Based on later development of Welsh and Irish , Kenneth Jackson concludes that the correct spelling of the name is ''Boudica'', pronounced //, although it is mispronounced by many as //. Kenneth Jackson , "Queen Boudicca?", ''Britannia'' 10, 1979 EARLY LIFE It is assumed that Boudica's family was well-off, as Tacitus comments that Boudica described herself as being of noble ancestry. She was brought up in a traditional Celt ic roundhouse, which would have been large and taken a few weeks to build. When Boudica was older (around seven), she went to live with a second family and stayed there until she was around fourteen. While away, she met new people and learned how to be sociable. She also learned about the history of the Celts and her tribe, traditions, culture and religion. She attended a warrior school, learning to use a sword, spear and shield. A few years after Boudica returned home (around 47 AD), her family found a marriage partner for her, Prasutagus of the Iceni tribe. They married and had two daughters. Prasutagus's inheritance The co-heir to his kingdom along with his two daughters. It was normal Roman practice to allow allied kingdoms their independence only for the lifetime of their client king, who would agree to leave his kingdom to Rome in his will: the provinces of also allowed Inheritance only through the male line. So when Prasutagus died his attempts to preserve his line were ignored and his kingdom was annexed as if it had been conquered. Lands and property were confiscated and nobles treated like slaves. According to Tacitus , Boudica was flogged and her daughters raped. Dio Cassius says that Roman financiers, including Seneca The Younger , chose this point to call in their loans. Tacitus does not mention this, but does single out the Procurator , Catus Decianus , for criticism for his "avarice". Prasutagus, it seems, had lived well on borrowed Roman money, and on his death his subjects had become liable for the debt. BOUDICA'S UPRISING In 60 or 61, while the current governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus , was leading a campaign against the Druids on the island of Anglesey in north Wales , the Iceni rebelled, along with their neighbours the Trinovantes, under Boudica's leadership. Their first target was Camulodunum ( Colchester ), the former Trinovantian capital and now a Roman '' Colonia ''. The Roman veterans who had been settled there mistreated the locals, and a temple to the former emperor Claudius had been erected there at local expense, making the city a focus for resentment. The city was poorly defended and the rebels destroyed it, besieging the last defenders in the temple for two days before it fell. The future governor Quintus Petillius Cerialis , then commanding the Legio IX ''Hispana'' , attempted to relieve the city, but his forces were routed. When news of the rebellion reached him, Suetonius hurried along ( St Albans ) was next to be destroyed. In the three cities destroyed, between seventy and eighty thousand people are said to have been killed. Romans rally See Also: Battle of Watling Street Suetonius regrouped with the XIV ''Gemina'' , some ''vexillationes'' (detachments) of the XX ''Valeria Victrix'' , and any available auxiliaries. The Prefect of Legio II ''Augusta'' , Poenius Postumus , ignored the call, but nonetheless the governor was able to call on almost ten thousand men. He took a stand at an unidentified location, probably in the West Midlands somewhere along Watling Street , in a Defile with a wood behind him. They were greatly outnumbered by the British rebels (who were 230,000 strong by now according to Dio Cassius) but superior Roman tactics and training won the day at the Battle Of Watling Street . The Britons attempted to flee, but were impeded by the presence of their own families, whom they had stationed in a ring of wagons at the edge of the battlefield, and were slaughtered (The German king Ariovistus is reported to have made the same mistake in Julius Caesar 's '' Gallic Wars '').'' Commentarii De Bello Gallico '' 12:31 Tacitus reports that "according to one report almost eighty thousand Britons fell" compared with only four hundred Romans. According to Tacitus, Boudica poisoned herself; Dio Cassius says she fell sick and died, and was given a lavish burial. She may well have been cremated which was the custom of many Celtic tribes at this time. This would also serve to save her body from being defiled and would explain why the remains have never been found. Location of her defeat The site of Boudica's battle is unknown. According to London legend it was at King's Cross in London (a nearby street is named Battle Bridge Road), and that Boudica herself is buried under one of the platforms at King's Cross Railway Station (different sources list platforms eight, nine or ten as her supposed resting place) but, based on Tacitus, it is unlikely Suetonius returned to London. Most historians favour a site in the West Midlands. Kevin K. Carroll suggests a site close to High Cross in Leicestershire , on the junction of Watling Street and the Fosse Way , would have allowed the Legio II ''Augusta'', based at Exeter , to rendezvous with the rest of Suetonius's forces.Kevin K. Carroll, "The Date of Boudicca's Revolt", ''Britannia'' 10, 1979 Manduessedum ( Mancetter ), near the modern day town of Atherstone in Warwickshire , has also been suggested. Sheppard Frere , ''Britannia: A History of Roman Britain'', 1987, p. 73
HISTORICAL SOURCES Tacitus, the most important Roman historian of this period, took a particular interest in Britain as Gnaeus Julius Agricola , his father-in-law and the subject of his first book, served there three times. He was a military Tribune under Suetonius Paulinus, which almost certainly gave Tacitus an eyewitness source for Boudica's revolt. Dio Cassius's sources are less certain. He is generally agreed to have based his account on that of Tacitus, but he simplifies the sequence of events and adds details, such as the calling in of loans, that Tacitus does not mention. He says of Boudica: :"Boudica was tall, terrible to look on and gifted with a powerful voice. A flood of bright red hair ran down to her knees; she wore a golden necklet made up of ornate pieces, a multi-coloured robe and over it a thick cloak held together by a brooch. She took up a long spear to cause dread in all who set eyes on her." He reports that she committed all sorts of atrocities in the name of a goddess called Andraste , who he claims is the British equivalent of Victoria , the Roman goddess of victory. Boudica's own name means "victory". It is generally thought that 2005 ) CULTURAL IMPACT History and literature By the wrote a popular poem, '' Boadicea, an ode '', in 1782. It was in the (furnished with Scythes after Persian fashion), together with her daughters, was commissioned by Prince Albert and executed by Thomas Thornycroft . It was completed in 1905 and stands next to Westminster Bridge and the Houses Of Parliament . Ironically, the great anti-imperialist rebel was now identified with the head of the British Empire .Graham Webster, ''Boudica: The British Revolt against Rome AD 60'', 1978 Modern fiction Boudica has inspired several novels: examples include Rosemary Sutcliff 's 1978 Historical Novel for children, ''Song for a Dark Queen'', and Manda Scott 's series of novels, ''Dreaming the Eagle'', ''Dreaming the Bull'', ''Dreaming the Hound'' and ''Dreaming the Serpent Spear''. Joyce Doré wrote ''Hemlock'', (ISBN 1898030197), a fictional account of the life of Boudica published in 2002, in which Boudica and her two daughters are taken to Rome, before Nero , who makes her drink Hemlock . Doré claims to be a Psychic and to have based the book on her conversations with the historical characters. The major American publisher Penguin has produced a recent book about Boudica called Warrior Queen, written by Australian novelist Alan Gold. It has been critically acclaimed. The Harry Turtledove novel, "Ruled Britiania", features a world where the Spanish Armada succeeded in taking over England. Ten years after the fact, Shakespere is recruited by a band of rebels to write a play that would stir the English to rebel against Spain. The subject of the play is Boudica. Films and television Boudica has been the subject of two feature films, 1928's ''Boadicea'', starring '', was made by Thames Television in 1978 starring Sian Phillips as Boudica and Nigel Hawthorne as Catus Decianus. Boudica was also featured in the fifth episode of one hour documentary Warrior Women on the Discovery Channel, hosted by New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless . She was also the subject of the History Bites episode "Xena's Evil Sister". Boudica was also mentioned during NCIS episode Bloodbath Music The Irish singer/songwriter Enya produced a song called "Boadicea" on her 1992 album '' The Celts ''. This track was most famously sampled by the rap group The Fugees for their single "Ready or Not" (from 1996's '' The Score ''), and most recently by Mario Winans (featuring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs ) on his song "I Don't Wanna Know" (2004). The track was also used in the Soundtrack of the film '' Sleepwalkers ''. Scottish singer/songwriter have written a song entitled "Blood Slakes the Sand at the Circus Maximus" (found on the band's album ''Battle Magic'') which features an Iceni Warrior of Boudica's uprising being captured and brought back to Rome. Her name (always spelled "Boudicca") returns in the song "When Rides the Scion of the Storms" of the same album. Bal-Sagoth, "Blood Slakes the Sand at the Circus Maximus" lyrics , "When Rides the Scion of the Storms lyrics Faith and the Muse produced a song, Boudiccea, in their most recent album, Burning Season. The song suggests that Boudiccea may have committed suicide by falling on her sword. ''Boudiccea'' lyrics from the Faith and the Muse Site Other cultural references There have been scattered reports that the restless spirit of Boudica has been seen in the county of Lincolnshire . These reports, dating back to the mid-19th century, claim Boudica rides her chariot, heading for some unknown destination, and many a traveller and motorist have claimed to have seen her. There has been some debate as to how long this has been going on. Some say that the queen's restless spirit has been appearing since her death, while other suggest that the revival of interest in Boudica's story in the 19th century might have summoned her spirit back to our world. As with all reports of ghostly activity, it is up to the individual to decide whether they are true or not.Dan Asfar, ''Haunted Highways: Ghost Stories and Strange Tales'', 2003 In 1984 , Judy Grahn , in her book '' Another Mother Tongue '', claimed that Boudica was the origin of the present day English word "bull dyke" (a vulgar term for a Lesbian ); this is thought to be dubious. In the 1990s, DC Comics ' Green Lantern Corps included a member named Boodikka, portrayed as a fierce female warrior. In 2003, an LTR Retrotransposon from the Genome of the human Blood Fluke ''Schistosoma mansoni'' was named ''Boudicca''.Copeland CS, Brindley PJ, Heyers O, Michael SF, Johnston DA, Williams DL, Ivens AC, Kalinna BH, "''Boudicca'', a retrovirus-like long terminal repeat retrotransposon from the genome of the human blood fluke ''Schistosoma mansoni''". ''Journal of Virology'' 2003 Jun;77(11):6153-66; Copeland CS, Heyers O, Kalinna BH, Bachmair A, Stadler PF, Hofacker IL, Brindley PJ, "Structural and evolutionary analysis of the transcribed sequence of ''Boudicca'', a ''Schistosoma mansoni'' retrotransposon". ''Gene'' 2004;329:103-114. REFERENCES FURTHER READING
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