Boudica :: essays research papers

Twenty years after the invasion, Britain was feeling oppressed by the Roman Empire, none more so than the Iceni tribe. Their late king, Prasutagus, had left the Icenian land to the Romans in his will, but on certain conditions. Upon his death, the Romans took over without abiding by any of these conditions, treating the land as if it was theirs by right of conquest. There was looting and tyranny, the king’s family was abused and the Romans savagely ruled over the Iceni. Another factor in aggravating the Britons was that the occupiers began to recall large loans which had been forced upon unwilling Britons. Some Britons were conscripted into the army, the Roman procurators wanted to extract as much wealth as could be had from the latest addition to the empire. Boudica, having been treated and indeed flogged as a slave, decided to rebel. She joined forces with the Trinovantes, who had their own reasons to hate the Romans. Some of their land had been taken from them to form part of Camulodunum (now Colchester). One of buildings in it was the Temple Of Claudius, it was hated by the oppressed masses and became the first target of Boudica’s attack. The colonists appealed for help and troops were sent from Londinium, but these amounted to just 200 and were ill equipped for the task. The veterans and the troops took cover in the Temple but were soundly beaten after two days, the temple was destroyed and the town sacked. Petillius Cerialis, camped with Legio IX eight miles away at Longthorpe heard of the revolt and set off for the town, but he was ambushed and at length defeated. Boudica heartened by this success now marched on Londinium. Suetonius Paullinus was at an island in north Wales when he heard of the rebellion. He made haste for Londinium with Legio XIV, but his journey was slow and when at length he arrived in Londinium he realised that he did not have enough troops to defend it, and so the largest town in Britain was abandoned. Verulamium too could not be held and so the army retreated. When Boudica’s army reached London they thought of nothing but loot and so did not make for the militarily strategic points but instead to wherever they could plunder the most money, this proved their downfall. While the Britons looted, Paullinus gathered his men which amounted to some ten thousand and chose a place of battle most advantageous to him.