Boadiccea of the Iceni ranks closely with King Arthur as one of Britain’s greatest heroes. What is known of her story, unfortunately, comes mostly from Roman sources – the enemy. It is said that the victors write the history books and this is certainly true in Boadiccea’s case. Still, her tale of bloodthirsty slaughter was grounded in Roman provocation.

Her husband, Prasutagus, paid the Romans tribute and kept some control of Iceni lands while he lived. Celtic women who were outspoken and fought alongside their husbands in battle freaked out the Romans. In his will, Prasutagus left half of his estate and monies to the Emperor Nero and the other half to Boudiccea and their two daughters. The king thought this would be reasonable enough and still provide well for his family. Boudiccea fully expected to be treated with the same respect Prasutagus enjoyed and remain Queen of the Iceni.

The Romans, however, seized all of Prasutagus’ lands and monies. In a viciously spiteful move, the Romans declared Boudiccea responsible for all the debts in her regency. Because she could not pay the debts, they seized the Queen, stripped her, and publicly flogged her. Roman soldiers raped her two daughters. This humiliation inflamed the Iceni. As Queen, Boudiccea and her daughters were probably the High Priestesses of their people, so these actions were also sacrilegious. Roman greed and utter contempt they displayed for the Celtic tribes began the great rebellion of 61 CE.

The Celtic tribes usually considered themselves separate entities, but Boudiccea’s situation raised a great army of angry Britons. The Queen – described as an imposing woman with an authoritative voice and long red hair – amassed an army estimated to be over 100,000. The Iceni and their allies marched first to Camulodunum (Colchester). They burnt it to the ground and slaughtered the Roman inhabitants. The next target would be Londinium (London).

Londinium was a growing city of business and trade. About 30,000 settlers – not all of them Roman – lived there in Boudiccea’s time. Suetonius, the Roman sent to fight Boudiccea, beat her to the city and took a long hard look at the city’s defenses. It had nothing to repel an army, so the Roman general abandoned Londinium to its fate!

Boudiccea and her army burned Londinium in a conflagration so intense; it left a layer of red soil forever beneath London. Again, anyone who hadn’t fled was slaughtered. The Romans tell of great atrocities enacted on the losing side by the Celts. Her army was now ready to attack Verulamium (St. Albans). Again, Suetonius waited. Again, the city was scorched and its inhabitants slaughtered.

The Britons were undisciplined, running on rage. Suetonius picked his fight well and chose a position where his small army could defeat the huge force Boudiccea led. The Celts showed up to the battle with their families in wagons! The Romans took advantage of the poorly protected women and children and cut deeply into the British ranks. Some 80,000 Britons died in that battle but there were much fewer Roman casualties. Suetonius’ tactics destroyed the Iceni uprising.

Boudiccea did not die in the battle. Some reports say she took poison (maybe even a year afterward!) to escape capture by the Romans. Other reports say she died of an illness. Boudiccea and her daughters disappear into history and legend at this point. The Iceni were not so lucky.

In revenge, the Romans executed Iceni or made them slaves. Iceni lands were taken over by the military, families losing their hereditary homelands. The Romans even built a drainage system to pull all the water out of the soil and destroy farms! The great Iceni rebellion was over.

Boudiccea has become a symbol for British independence and their fighting spirit. Although her rebellion was short lived, it left an indelible mark in the way the Romans viewed their British subjects and visa versa. In the back of every Briton’s mind was the memory of how they once fought back and nearly drove the Romans out. Also, the failure of the Romans to capture Boudiccea either dead or alive was taken as a disgrace. Even if she didn’t poison herself (the reporters were Roman) she never again led another battle against Rome. One source says that she took ill after the battle and died from her wounds. Her final resting place is unknown.

I honestly can’t say that Boudiccea was a great tactician. Her army, at best, was an angry mob with no discipline. The Celts were warriors, not soldiers, and charged headlong into battle. That she managed to unite the various tribes together to form such a large army was amazing. Although commanding them must have been like herding cats!

Modern women identify with Boudiccea on many levels, but mostly her rage. Boudiccea is just as capable as her late husband, but is disrespected and embarrassed publicly. She has to endure not only her own pain, but the pain of seeing her daughters raped in front of her. Her retaliation against the Romans is bloody, but carries with it anger shared by all her countrymen. Roman rule was harsh and unjust. The Romans not only raped her daughters, they were raping Britain. The extreme prejudice Boudiccea visits on the Roman cities is no less than any Mother protecting her children is capable of. The Celtic tribes following Boudiccea have no problem with her being a woman. This is unheard of in the Greco-Roman/Judeo-Christian culture we modern folk have inherited.

Boudiccea’s name means “Victory.” Although her efforts fell short of total victory, she remains a symbol of indomitable spirit.

Heroic History by Muninn