Boudica

The life of Boudica is known only because of Roman scholars, yet much of her life remains a mystery. It is estimated that she was born around A.D. 30 to a highly ranked family in Camulodunum. She is famed for her long red hair, as well as for her height and strength. Many Celtic women of this time were trained to fight, and like many others, Boudica had knowledge of fighting techniques and how to use a weapon.

In A.D. 48, at 18 years old, Boudica married Prasutagus, who was the king of the Iceni tribe, making Boudica a queen. The Iceni tribe was located in modern-day East Anglia and was considered a Celtic tribe. During this time, Romans were conquering different areas in Europe, and in A.D. 43, they took over southern England. The Romans would force the majority of the Celtic tribes to surrender to their empire, but they allowed Prasutagus to keep power over his tribe as long as he became an ally of the Roman Empire. Prasutagus arranged to have his money split between his daughters and the Roman Emperor to persuade him to maintain peace with his tribe. But once Prasutagus died in A.D. 59, with no son to be his heir, the governor of Britain and his soldiers attacked the Iceni and took all of Boudica and her daughters' property and wealth. They took Boudica and her daughters and publicly assaulted them.

This was the moment when Boudica decided that she was no longer going to stand aside and allow the Roman Empire to do whatever they pleased. Boudica traveled to other tribes who were displeased with the Roman Empire and formed her own rebellion. She even convinced the Trinovantes, who, in the past, had been rivals of the Iceni tribe. In A.D. 60, Boudica and her rebellion defeated the Roman Ninth Legion. It is estimated that she gathered over 100,000 warriors. She continued winning battles and destroying places like Camulodunum (now Colchester), Londinium (now London), and Verulamium (now St. Albans). She even killed the captain of Roman Britain and massacred many people in the cities she destroyed.

She was able to accomplish these feats because the Roman provincial governor was in Wales on a military campaign. But once he returned, he sent out his best troops to find Boudica and kill her. The Roman troops were smaller in number but had significantly better training and had access to more weapons than Boudica’s rebellion. The location of Boudica’s defeat is unknown, but the Roman troops defeated her rebellion in a gruesome battle. It is said that to avoid being captured, Boudica and her daughters poisoned themselves and died.

Although Boudica’s rebellion ended in defeat, many today remember her as a brave warrior queen who was not afraid of a challenge. Today, in London, there is a statue of Boudica and her daughters. It shows them riding a chariot into battle and stands proudly next to the River Thames. Boudica’s story remains inspiring to this day.