Early Roman Empire, Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27-00-68), Nero: Revolt in Britain

Revolt in Britain (60/1); Boudicca

In 58 Suetonius Paulinus (fl.40-69+), was appointed governor of Britannia, replacing Quintus Veranius (fl.41-57), who had died in office. He continued Veranius’ policy of aggressively subduing the tribes of modern Wales. In 60/1 he made an assault on the Island of Mona (Anglesey), a refuge for British refugees and a stronghold of the Druids, but was forced to return to the southeast where the tribes were in revolt.

After the rebellion in 47 was put down, the Iceni (Norfolk) became a client kingdom of Rome. When their king Prasutagus died in 60 he had, in the hope of preserving his nation’s independence, named his two daughters along with the Roman emperor as coheirs to the Iceni kingdom. 

But the Romans considered the royal line was now extinct and Decianus Catus, the procurator of Roman Britain (60/61), confiscated money given by Claudius to leading Britons, declaring them loans to be paid with interest. But the funds were not available and all the property belonging to the Iceni was forfeited to the Romans. When Prasutagus’ wife Boudicca protested she was whipped and her two daughters were raped.

Boudicca wanted revenge and another tribe, the Trinovantes (Essex), joined with the Iceni. With an initial army said to be of over one hundred thousand men, Boudicca marched on Camulodunum (Colchester, northeast Essex). The town was not walled and had a token presence of only about two hundred troops. It was quickly overrun, sacked and burned. 

A Roman force, the Legio IX Hispania under Petillius (c.53; 60/1-83+), set off for Camulodunum to rescue Romans in the area. The British were waiting for them and cut their infantry to pieces. The Romans lost twenty-five hundred men. Petillius and his cavalry took refuge back at the legionary camp. 

Boudicca then went southwestwards to Londinium (London). Suetonius, having rushed back from the west, reached the city before her. He decided that Londinium – which probably had about thirty thousand inhabitants – could not be defended. Boudicca led her armies into the city and the earlier massacre was repeated: captives were tortured and sacrificed, and the city was burned.

Boudicca then took her army northwards to Verulamium (St Albans, Hertfordshire). This city was different from the previous two because it was populated not by Romans but by Britons friendly to Rome. By this time her army had doubled in size, Suetonius being able to muster just ten thousand legionaries. If Boudicca had now attacked the Roman force she would almost certainly have completely destroyed it. Instead she sacked and burnt St Albans (in all, about seventy thousand were slaughtered in the three cities), which gave Suetonius time to move his two legions – XIV Gemina and XX Valeria Victrix – to terrain most favourable for his forces.

He found a position at the top of a slope at the end of a deep gorge backed by a thick, impenetrable wood. The Britons would have to fight up the hill without being able to attack the flanks or the rear. Historians have searched for this site and most place it between Londinium and Viroconium (Wroxeter, Shropshire), on the Roman Road now known as Watling Street, and possibly near Atherstone (north Warwickshire).

Believing that her superiority in numbers would compensate for the adverse terrain, Boudicca ordered the attack. Her spear throwers throwing uphill were wholly ineffective, the weapons that actually made contact merely glanced off the legionaries’ shield barrier. When the first wave had exhausted their supply, Boudicca’s warriors, undrilled in disciplined combat, panicked under the Romans’ coordinated attack. 

Suetonius ordered the discharge of the Roman javelins and the effect of the volley was devastating. Boudicca’s hordes broke ranks and the Roman cavalry charged downhill, enveloping the enemy. Boudicca lost an estimated eighty thousand of her followers, bringing the rebellion to an end. Boudicca did not die in the battle, but chose to take poison and die rather than let herself be captured.