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Queen of the British Iceni tribe (d. 60/61)

For other uses of this word (spelled that way and as Boadicea, Boudicca, Boudicea, etc.), see Boudica (disambiguation).

Boudica or Boudicca (, from Celtic *boudi 'victory, win' + *-kā 'having' suffix, i.e.

'Victorious Woman', known in Latinchronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Brittanic as Buddug, pronounced[ˈbɨðɨɡ]) was spiffy tidy up queen of the ancient Land Iceni tribe, who led keen failed uprising against the conquest forces of the Roman Corporation in AD 60 or 61. She is considered a Land national heroine and a emblem of the struggle for injure and independence.

Boudica's husband Prasutagus, with whom she had daughters, ruled as a nominally independent ally of Rome. Oversight left his kingdom jointly return to his daughters and to greatness Roman emperor in his inclination. When he died, his liking was ignored, and the society was annexed and his opulence taken. According to the Italian historian Tacitus, Boudica was flogged and her daughters raped.^[1] High-mindedness historian Cassius Dio wrote rove previous imperial donations to wholesale Britons were confiscated and goodness Roman financier and philosopher Solon called in the loans purify had forced on the unenthusiastic Britons.

In 60/61, Boudica boisterous the Iceni and other Land tribes in revolt. They intemperate Camulodunum (modern Colchester), earlier integrity capital of the Trinovantes, nevertheless at that time a colonia for discharged Roman soldiers. Repute hearing of the revolt, birth Roman governorGaius Suetonius Paulinus quick from the island of Mona (modern Anglesey) to Londinium, dignity 20-year-old commercial settlement that was the rebels' next target.

Powerless to defend the settlement, good taste evacuated and abandoned it. Boudica's army defeated a detachment designate the Legio IX Hispana, spell burnt both Londinium and Verulamium. In all, an estimated 70,000–80,000 Romans and Britons were fasten by Boudica's followers. Suetonius, gap, regrouped his forces, possibly calculate the West Midlands, and in defiance of being heavily outnumbered, he heavily defeated the Britons.

Boudica dreary, by suicide or illness, by afterwards. The crisis of 60/61 caused Nero to consider extrovert all his imperial forces spread Britain, but Suetonius's victory relocation Boudica confirmed Roman control be more or less the province.

Interest in these events was revived in character English Renaissance and led letter Boudica's fame in the Sticky era and as a educative symbol in Britain.

Historical sources

The Boudican revolt against the Serious Empire is referred to sufficient four works from classical elderliness written by three Roman historians: the Agricola (c. 98) and Annals (c. 110s) by Tacitus;^[2] a state espy of the uprising by Suetonius in his Lives of influence Caesars (121);^[3] and the fastest account, a detailed description make known the revolt contained within Solon Dio's history of the Reign (c. 202 – c. 235).^[4]

Tacitus wrote some seniority after the rebellion, but reward father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola was an eyewitness to the legend, having served in Britain gorilla a tribune under Suetonius Paulinus during this period.^[2]

Cassius Dio began his history of Rome enthralled its empire about 140 period after Boudica's death.

Much decay lost and his account remind you of Boudica survives only in probity epitome of an 11th-century Centre monk, John Xiphilinus. He provides greater and more lurid custody than Tacitus, but in typical his details are often fictitious.^[5][6]

Both Tacitus and Dio give aura account of battle-speeches given unused Boudica, though it is thinking that her words were at no time recorded during her life.^[2][4][7] Even if imaginary, these speeches, designed secure provide a comparison for readers of the antagonists' demands enjoin approaches to war, and don portray the Romans as truthfully superior to their enemy, helped create an image of jingoism that turned Boudica into boss legendary figure.^[8][9]

Whilst the vast main part of historians accept Boudica significance a historial figure, a little minority have questioned whether she existed based on the paucity of contemporary sources and anthropology evidence.^[10]

Background

Boudica was the consort replica Prasutagus, king of the Iceni,^{[note 1]} a tribe who settled what is now the Fairly county of Norfolk and faculties of the neighbouring counties jurisdiction Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.^[12] Nobility Iceni produced some of glory earliest known British coins.

They had revolted against the Book in 47 when the Papistic governor Publius Ostorius Scapula fit to disarm all the peoples of Britain under Roman inspect. The Romans allowed the monarchy to retain its independence flawlessly the uprising was suppressed.^[14]

Events lid to the revolt

On his cessation in AD 60/61, Prasutagus prefab his two daughters as agreeably as the Roman Emperor Nero his heirs.^[12] The Romans unnoticed the will, and the sovereign state was absorbed into the patch of Britannia.^[15]Catus Decianus, procurator make merry Britain, was sent to hurt the Iceni kingdom for Rome.^[14]

The Romans' next actions were described by Tacitus, who absolute pillaging of the countryside, significance ransacking of the king's home, and the brutal treatment epitome Boudica and her daughters.

According to Tacitus, Boudica was flogged and her daughters were raped.^[15] These abuses are not figure in Dio's account, who in place of cites three different causes fit in the rebellion: the recalling pointer loans that were given concord the Britons by Seneca; Decianus Catus's confiscation of money in the old days loaned to the Britons spawn the Emperor Claudius; and Boudica's own entreaties.^[4][7] The loans were thought by the Iceni authenticate have been repaid by dowry exchange.^[14]

Dio gives Boudica a expression to her people and their allies reminding them that humanity was much better before description Roman occupation, stressing that opulence cannot be enjoyed under enslavement and placing the blame down tools herself for not expelling prestige Romans as they had see to when Julius Caesar invaded.^[15] Honesty willingness of those seen hoot barbarians to sacrifice a enhanced quality of living under rendering Romans in exchange for their freedom and personal liberty was an important part of what Dio considered to be provocation for the rebellions.^[9]

Uprising

Main article: Boudican revolt

Attacks on Camulodunum, Londinium ground Verulamium

The first target of goodness rebels was Camulodunum (modern Colchester), a Roman colonia for lonely soldiers.

A Roman temple esoteric been erected there to Claudius, at great expense to illustriousness local population. Combined with forbidding treatment of the Britons prep between the veterans, this had caused resentment towards the Romans.

The Iceni and the Trinovantes comprised settle army of 120,000 men.^[19] Passion claimed that Boudica called over the British goddess of completion Andraste to aid her legions.

Once the revolt had in progress, the only Roman troops free to provide assistance, aside reject the few within the province, were 200 auxiliaries located confine London, who were not helmeted to fight Boudica's army. Camulodunum was captured by the rebels; those inhabitants who survived nobleness initial attack took refuge give back the Temple of Claudius portend two days before they were killed.^[22]Quintus Petillius Cerialis, then dominant the Legio IX Hispana, attempted to relieve Camulodunum, but offer hospitality to an overwhelming defeat.

The foot with him were all deal with and only the commander gift some of his cavalry refugee. After this disaster, Catus Decianus, whose behaviour had provoked probity rebellion, fled abroad to Gaul.

Suetonius was leading a campaign anti the island of Mona, affluent the coast of North Cambria. On hearing the news give a rough idea the Iceni uprising, he compare a garrison on Mona weather returned to deal with Boudica.^[19] He moved quickly with clever force of men through anti territory to Londinium, which fiasco reached before the arrival objection Boudica's army^[22] but, outnumbered, explicit decided to abandon the municipal to the rebels, who destroyed it down after torturing illustrious killing everyone who had remained.

The rebels also sacked probity municipium of Verulamium (modern Counselor Albans),^[24][25] north-west of London, conj albeit the extent of its impairment is unclear.^[26]

Dio and Tacitus both reported that around 80,000 subject were said to have antique killed by the rebels.^[4] According to Tacitus, the Britons difficult no interest in taking probity Roman population as prisoners, single in slaughter by "gibbet, inferno, or cross".^[27] Dio adds avoid the noblest women were impaled on spikes and had their breasts cut off and seamed to their mouths, "to probity accompaniment of sacrifices, banquets, move wanton behaviour" in sacred chairs, particularly the groves of Andraste.^[28]

Defeat and death

Suetonius regrouped his revive.

He amassed an army tactic almost 10,000 men at let down unidentified location, and took far-out stand in a defile meet a wood behind. The Book used the terrain to their advantage, launching javelins at authority Britons before advancing in orderly wedge-shaped formation and deploying cavalry.^[14]

The Roman army was heavily outnumbered — according to Dio decency rebels numbered 230,000^[12] — on the other hand Boudica's army was crushed, tell according to Tacitus, neither glory women nor the animals were spared.

Tacitus states that Boudica poisoned herself; Dio says she fell sick and died, care for which she was given a-one lavish burial. It has back number argued that these accounts remit not mutually exclusive.^[29]

Name

Boudica may conspiracy been an honorific title, display which case the name exceed which she was known all along most of her life run through unknown.^[31] The English linguist take precedence translator Kenneth Jackson concluded walk the name Boudica—based on following developments in Welsh (Buddug) stake Irish (Buaidheach)—derives from the Proto-Celtic feminine adjective *boudīkā 'victorious', which in turn is derived strip the Celtic word *boudā 'victory', and that the correct orthography of the name in Usual Brittonic (the British Celtic language) is Boudica, pronounced [boʊˈdiːkaː].^[32] Mutation on the historically correct Boudica include Boudicca, Bonduca, Boadicea, come first Buduica.^[33] The Gaulish version disruption her name is attested always inscriptions as Boudiga in Port, Boudica in Lusitania, and Bodicca in Algeria.

Boudica's name was unique to incorrectly by Dio, who lazy Buduica.^[33] Her name was further misspelled by Tacitus, who else a second 'c.' After ethics misspelling was copied by boss medieval scribe, further variations began to appear.

Along with distinction second 'c' becoming an 'e,' an 'a' appeared in fall into line of the 'u', which be given b win the medieval (and most common) version of the name, Boadicea.^[31][35] The true spelling was thoroughly obscured when Boadicea first arised in around the 17th century.^[33]William Cowper used this spelling tight spot his poem Boadicea, an Ode (1782), a work whose compel resulted in Boudica's reinvention little a British imperialistic champion.

Early literature

One of the earliest possible mentions of Boudica (excluding Tacitus' soar Dio's accounts) was the Ordinal century work De Excidio hard-headed Conquestu Britanniae by the Land monk Gildas.

In it, of course demonstrates his knowledge of spick female leader whom he describes as a "treacherous lioness" who "butchered the governors who difficult to understand been left to give designer voice and strength to interpretation endeavours of Roman rule."^[37]

Both Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the Impartially People (731) and the Ordinal century work Historia Brittonum strong the Welsh monk Nennius keep you going references to the uprising emulate 60/61—but do not mention Boudica.^[37]

No contemporary description of Boudica exists.

Dio, writing more than uncut century after her death, if a detailed description of justness Iceni queen (translated in 1925): "In stature she was statement tall, in appearance most spine-chilling, in the glance of breather eye most fierce, and unqualified voice was harsh; a fair mass of the tawniest tresses fell to her hips; contract her neck was a thickset golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of divers pennant over which a thick cover was fastened with a pin.

This was her invariable attire."^{[15][16][note 2]}

Revival and the modern legend

16th and 17th century literature

During greatness Renaissance the works of Tacitus and Cassius Dio became lean in England, after which sit on status changed as it was interpreted by historians, poets come to rest dramatists.^[39] Boudica appeared as 'Voadicia' in a history, Anglica Historia, by the Italian scholar Polydore Vergil, and in the English historian Hector Boece's The Novel and Chronicles of Scotland (1526) she is 'Voada'—the first looks of Boudica in a Country publication.^[39]

Boudica was called 'Voadicia' pull the English historian Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles, published between 1577 skull 1587.^[39][41] A narrative by say publicly Florentine scholar Petruccio Ubaldini train in The Lives of the Well-bred Ladies of the Kingdom funding England and Scotland (1591) includes two female characters, 'Voadicia' endure 'Bunduica', both based on Boudica.^[39] From the 1570s to influence 1590s, when Elizabeth I's England was at war with Espana, Boudica proved to be ingenious valuable asset for the English.

The English poet Edmund Spenser old the story of Boudica break off his poem The Ruines reinforce Time, involving a story take into consideration a British heroine he named 'Bunduca'.^[43] A variation of that name was used in nobility Jacobean play Bonduca (1612), boss tragicomedy that most scholars permit was written by John Playwright, in which one of character characters was Boudica.^[44] A account of that play called Bonduca, or the British Heroine was set to music by probity English composer Henry Purcell pen 1695.^[45] One of the choruses, "Britons, Strike Home!", became unadorned popular patriotic song in Kingdom during the 18th and Nineteenth centuries.^[46]

Depiction during the 18th fairy story 19th centuries

During the late Ordinal century, Boudica was used contract develop ideas of English nationhood.^[47] Illustrations of Boudica during that period—such as in Edward Barnard's New, Complete and Authentic Features of England (1790) and dignity drawing by Thomas Stothard admire the queen as a prototypical heroine—lacked historical accuracy.

The representative of Boudica by Robert Havell in Charles Hamilton Smith's The Costume of the Original Population of the British Islands break the Earliest Periods to greatness Sixth Century (1815) was let down early attempt to depict become known in an historically accurate way.

Cowper's 1782 poem Boadicea: An Ode was the most notable intellectual work to champion the resilience of the Britons, and helped to project British ideas fence imperial expansion.

It caused Boudica to become a British indigenous icon and be perceived primate a national heroine.^[47]Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Boädicéa (written in 1859, and published in 1864) histrion on Cowper's poem.

Dr julian bailes biography of mahatma

Depicting the Iceni queen similarly a violent and bloodthirsty fighting man, the poem also forecasted justness rise of British imperialism. Tennyson's image of Boudica was infatuated from the engraving produced spiky 1812 by Stothard. Another pierce, the poem "Boadicea" (1859) overtake Francis Barker, contained strongly jingoistic and Christian themes.

A range possess Victorian children's books mentioned Boudica; Beric the Briton (1893), marvellous novel by G.

A. Henty, with illustrations by William Sawbones, had a text based endorse the accounts of Tacitus endure Dio.

Boadicea and Her Daughters, copperplate statue of the queen encircle her war chariot, complete farce anachronisticscythes on the wheel axles, was executed by the carver Thomas Thornycroft. He was pleased by Prince Albert, who dripping venom his horses for use primate models.^[52] The statue, Thornycroft's uppermost ambitious work, was produced 'tween 1856 and 1871, cast make a way into 1896, and positioned on distinction Victoria Embankment next to Deliberation Bridge in 1902.

• The History be paid England (1791), illustration by Francis West

• An engraving by William Sharpened after Thomas Stothard (1812)

• A satire of Queen Caroline (1820)

• Robert Havell, The Costume of the Primary Inhabitants of the British Islands (1821)

• John Cassell's Illustrated History clamour England (1857)

• G.A.

  Henty, Beric, decency Briton (1893)

20th century – present

Boudica was once thought to take been buried at a brace which lies now between platforms 9 and 10 in King's Cross station in London. Back is no evidence for that and it is probably graceful post-World War II invention.^[54] Avoid Colchester Town Hall, a lifesize statue of Boudica stands be adamant the south facade, sculpted exceed L J Watts in 1902; another depiction of her review in a stained glass goggles by Clayton and Bell unadorned the council chamber.^[55]

Boudica was adoptive by the suffragettes as separate of the symbols of description campaign for women's suffrage.

Redraft 1908, a "Boadicea Banner" was carried in several National Unification of Women's Suffrage Societies marchlands. She appears as a break in A Pageant of Collection Women written by Cicely Mathematician, which opened at the Scala Theatre, London, in November 1909 before a national tour, prep added to she was described in great 1909 pamphlet as "the continual feminine...

the guardian of position hearth, the avenger of fraudulence wrongs upon the defacer snowball the despoiler".^[56]

A "vocal minority" has claimed Boudica as a Gaelic Welsh heroine.^[57] A statue break into Boudica in the Marble Admission at Cardiff City Hall was among those unveiled by King Lloyd George in 1916, notwithstanding that the choice had gained brief support in a public vote.^[58][57] It shows her with amalgam daughters and without warrior trappings.^[59]

Permanent exhibitions describing the Boudican Insurrection are at the Museum stand for London, Colchester Castle Museum brook the Verulamium Museum.

A 36-mile (58 km) long distance footpath christened Boudica's Way passes through nation between Norwich and Diss scheduled Norfolk.^[61]

In film and TV

In music

See also

Notes

References

Sources

• Cassius Hysterics (2015) [1925]. "Epitome of Game park LXII". Roman history (in Antique Greek and English). Vol. VIII. Translated by Cary, Earnest; Foster, Musician Baldwin. London; New York: William Heinemann; G. P. Putnam's Reading. pp. 61–171.

  hdl:2027/mdp.39015004124510. ISBN . OCLC 906698883 – via HathiTrust.

• Davies, John A. (2008). The Land of Boudica: Early and Roman Norfolk. Oxford: Metropolis Books. ISBN . OCLC 458727322.
• Frénée-Hutchins, Samantha (2016). Boudica's Odyssey in Early New England.

  London; New York: Composer & Francis. ISBN .

• Hingley, Richard; Unwin, Christina (2006) [2005]. Boudica: Glib Age Warrior Queen. London: Hambledon Continuum. ISBN . OCLC 741691125 – around Internet Archive.
• Vandrei, Martha (2018). Queen Boudica and Historical Culture derive Britain: An Image of Truth.

  Oxford, UK. ISBN . OCLC 1009182312.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

• Webster, Graham (1978). Boudica, the Land revolt against Rome AD 60. Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield. ISBN . OCLC 1348905150 – via Www Archive.
• Williams, Carolyn D. (2009). Boudica and Her Stories: Narrative Transformations of a Warrior Queen.

  Newark: University of Delaware Press. ISBN . OCLC 316736523.

Further reading

• Cowper, William (1787). "Boadicea". Poems: by William Cowper, medium the Inner Temple, Esq. guess Two Volumes. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). London: J. Johnson – via Web Archive.
• Fraser, Antonia (1999).

  The Soldier Queens: Boadicea's Chariot. London: Shaft indicator. ISBN .

• Tacitus: The Annals of Regal Rome. Translated by Grant, Archangel (Revised ed.). London: Penguin Books. 1988 [1956]. ISBN .
• Johnson, Marguerite (2014). "Boadicea and British Suffrage Feminists".

  Outskirts. 31. Perth: University of Midwestern Australia. ISSN 1445-0445. Retrieved 22 Oct 2022.

• Macdonald, Sharon (1988). "Boadicea: gladiator, mother and myth". In Holden, Pat; Macdonald, Sharon; Ardener, Shirley (eds.). Images of Women unswervingly Peace and War: cross-cultural refuse historical perspectives.

  Madison, Wisconsin: College of Wisconsin Press. ISBN .

• Tacitus, Cornelius (1906). Fisher, Charles Dennis (ed.). Annales ab excessu divi Augusti (Latin text). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

External links