Boudicca Revolt Analysis

Boudicca’s revolt was in the years 60-61 AD. It all started with trouble in East Anglia. The Romans were more or less in control of southern Britain. At this time, the Romans were fighting in their final battle with the Druids (priests of the old Celtic religion). The Iceni tribe, centred in what would now be Norfolk, had reached an accommodation with the Roman’s that meant that they could keep their lands so long as they made no fuss. But then the king of the Iceni tribe, Prasutagus died, and, under the bond of client-kingship, left half of his personal property to his wife, the Iceni queen Boudicca, and half to the Roman Emperor. The Roman’s decided to interpret the will as meaning they now had whole rule over the Iceni tribe and their
lands, and moved in, only to be met with hostility by Boudicca. The Romans had Boudicca flogged and her daughters raped. Boudicca was, as one would be, outraged. She raised up her Iceni tribe and the neighbouring tribe of Trivantes in revolt of the Roman empire. Boudicca had no mercy. She razed every town, village and city she and her tribes came upon to the ground, fiercely killing anyone in the towns, even the innocent locals. Boudicca was eventually caught by the Romans, but only after she had taken her revenge upon 70-80,000 people.

SOURCES: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/boudica/boudicanrevolt.html http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Boudicca's_Revolt.htm http://womenshistory.about.com/od/boudicca/a/boudiccatacitus.htm http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/boudica/boudicanrevolt.html