Boadicea

(Boudicca)

d. 61

boadicea
'WILL YOU FOLLOW ME MEN?'
Boadicea was a Queen of Iceni (now Norfolk), when Britain was under Roman rule. Britain had only been firmly established as a Roman province for about ten years, when Boadicea led the greatest uprising of Britons that ever occurred. Her husband had died the previous year, and the Romans had not only confiscated his entire estate, but some soldiers had committed outrages against her daughters.

These indignities inspired her rebellion in 61 A.D. She raised an army, took over several towns, including London, and massacred many of the Roman residents. By the time Suetonius Paulinus, the Roman governor, had time to respond, Boadicea had collected an army of nearly a hundred thousand. Boadicea rallied her troops, and rode into battle in a chariot, vowing to fight on to victory or death. The battle was a complete rout. The Britons suffered tens of thousands of deaths, while the Romans lost only a few hundred. Boadicea survived the battle, but took poison rather than surrender to the Romans.


Key events during the life of Boadicea:


Year
Event
60
 Husband of Boadicea dies, and Romans seize all of his property.
61
 Boadicea leads Briton revolt against Rome, but is defeated and takes poison.

Other Resources


Story Links
Book Links
The Story of Queen Boadicea  in  Cambridge Historical Reader—Primary  by  Cambridge Press
Boadicea  in  Stories from English History  by  Alfred J. Church
Furthest Britain  in  Helmet and Spear  by  Alfred J. Church
Struggle for Freedom  in  Pictures from Roman Life and Story  by  Alfred J. Church
Story of a Warrior Queen (Boadicea)  in  Our Island Story  by  H. E. Marshall
Boadicea, the Heroine of Britain  in  Historical Tales: Roman  by  Charles Morris


Image Links


The statue of Boadicea on the Thames embankment
 in Cambridge Historical Reader—Primary

In Battle with the Iceni
 in The Burning of Rome

Will you follow me men?'
 in Our Island Story


Contemporary
Short Biography
Nero Fifth emperor. Murdered mother, wife, and brother. Fiddled while Rome burned.
Suetonius Roman governor who defeated Boadicea.
Prasutagas Husband of Boadicea, King of Iceni.