Was Boudicca real?
Was Boudicca real?
Boudicca, known in Welsh as Buddug, was the queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe in approximately AD60. She ruled alongside her husband and king, Prasutagus. When the Romans travelled to Britain, Boudicca and Prasutagus were allowed to keep their kingdom so long as they gave half of their money to the Romans, and when Prasutagus died, the Romans were to get half of the Iceni kingdom. Boudicca and her husband agreed to this. When Prasutagus died, however, the Romans dishonoured their deal, and took all of the Iceni kingdom, publicly whipped Boudicca and raped her two daughters.These actions resulted in widespread resentment at Roman rule. In 60 or 61 AD, while the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus was leading a campaign in North Wales, the Iceni rebelled. Members of other tribes joined them.
Boudicca's warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, then at Colchester. They went on to destroy London and Verulamium (St Albans). Thousands were killed. Finally, Boudicca was defeated by a Roman army led by Paulinus. Many Britons were killed and Boudicca is thought to have poisoned herself to avoid capture. The site of the battle, and of Boudicca's death, are unknown.
Based on these facts, I think that Boudicca was real, because the ruins of the Roman cities and towns that she razed to the ground have been found. Evidence shows that Roman cities attacked by Boudicca were destroyed with extreme efficiency. Buildings made of hardened clay and timber were carefully knocked down. As well as killing the entire population of all of these towns, the bodies of them have never been found. This indicates that Boudicca was not just a rebellious savage, but a ruthless, cold military leader.
On the other hand, Boudicca may not have been real. Although there are variations of the spelling of her name(Boadicea, Boudicca, etc) I think that the real spelling was Boudicca, coming from the old Gaelic word
Boudicca, known in Welsh as Buddug, was the queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe in approximately AD60. She ruled alongside her husband and king, Prasutagus. When the Romans travelled to Britain, Boudicca and Prasutagus were allowed to keep their kingdom so long as they gave half of their money to the Romans, and when Prasutagus died, the Romans were to get half of the Iceni kingdom. Boudicca and her husband agreed to this. When Prasutagus died, however, the Romans dishonoured their deal, and took all of the Iceni kingdom, publicly whipped Boudicca and raped her two daughters.These actions resulted in widespread resentment at Roman rule. In 60 or 61 AD, while the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus was leading a campaign in North Wales, the Iceni rebelled. Members of other tribes joined them.
Boudicca's warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, then at Colchester. They went on to destroy London and Verulamium (St Albans). Thousands were killed. Finally, Boudicca was defeated by a Roman army led by Paulinus. Many Britons were killed and Boudicca is thought to have poisoned herself to avoid capture. The site of the battle, and of Boudicca's death, are unknown.
Based on these facts, I think that Boudicca was real, because the ruins of the Roman cities and towns that she razed to the ground have been found. Evidence shows that Roman cities attacked by Boudicca were destroyed with extreme efficiency. Buildings made of hardened clay and timber were carefully knocked down. As well as killing the entire population of all of these towns, the bodies of them have never been found. This indicates that Boudicca was not just a rebellious savage, but a ruthless, cold military leader.
On the other hand, Boudicca may not have been real. Although there are variations of the spelling of her name(Boadicea, Boudicca, etc) I think that the real spelling was Boudicca, coming from the old Gaelic word