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Boudica

Redheaded rebel
“…In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of various colours over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch…"

So Cassius Dio describes Boudica, in ‘Roman History’.

Born in about 30 AD, Boudica married King Prasutagus to become Queen of the Iceni people - a tribe of Celtic origin that lived in present-day Norfolk/Suffolk. Some believe that she was actually named Boudiga after the Celtic goddess of victory, but the Romans called her Boudica. After Emperor Claudius’ invasion in 43AD, most of England was under Roman rule. The Roman procedure at the time was that, if a vassal king died, the Romans should claim his property, but Prasutagus tried to avoid this, by leaving instructions that on his death, his lands and wealth should be equally divided between his family (his wife Boudica and his two daughters) and Rome.

Revolt Against Rome
When Prasutagus died in 60AD, the Romans moved in to take possession of his family’s wealth and territory. Boudica was flogged, her daughters raped and the Iceni hierarchy treated like slaves. This was too much for the feisty Queen of the Iceni and she determined to take on Nero and his legions. With the help of neighbouring tribes, Boudica built a formidable army.

When the Roman Governor, General Suetonius Paulinus, and his troops were stationed in Anglesey and North Wales, Boudica seized on the opportunity to burn St Albans and Colchester to the ground. The warrior queen and her troops eventually marched on London, where they killed 10,000 inhabitants. The fires have even left their mark today: almost four metres below London there is a layer of scorched earth known to archaeologists as, “The Boudica Destruction Layer”.

Boudica’s Last Stand
On their way back from Anglesey, Suetonius and his troops lay in wait for Boudica. With dense woodland protecting his rear and a narrow defile in front, Suetonius was in a position where his troops (outnumbered by 10 to 1) had the advantage. By the end of the day, 80,000 Iceni lay dead; the Romans lost only 400 men. Faced with this humiliating defeat, the proud queen ended her life by drinking from a poisoned chalice.

Today, there are differences of opinion as to where Boudica lies buried - Stonehenge, under Platform 8 in London's King's Cross, or at the top of Parliament Hill. Although we’ll never know, one thing’s for sure: Boudica will live on in our minds as the cruel heroine who stopped at nothing to defend her people and culture.