TRIBE: Celtic REGION: Britannia ROMANS KILLED: At BOUDICA least 6,000

“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; She now grasped a spear to aid her in terrifying all beholders and spoke...”

Britain’s Avenging Queen

Boudica was born of royal made repeated attempts daughters. His lands were descent in 21AD. One to disarm and defeat the annexed to Rome, as if they record says that she was Iceni but was unsuccessful, had been conquered. "possessed of greater ultimately deciding to sue When she objected, intelligence than often for peace rather than Boudica was beaten and belongs to women". She continue fighting the her daughters violated. was tall and had hair rebels. Prasutagus became Iceni noblemen were described as red or a favored ally. He made stripped of their estates, and reddish-brown, hanging the Roman emperor co-heir relatives of the king were below her waist. to his kingdom, alongside enslaved. his wife and two daughters. Boudica’s husband, In return, the Iceni received Prasutagus, was King of large loans from Rome. The Iceni went into battle the Iceni, a tribe of proud with their skin dyed with war- Celtic warriors in the Upon the King’s death, paint, necks clad in gold and Roman province of Rome ignored wish to leave helmets adorned with strange animal designs and Britannia. The Empire his kingdom to his mystical patterns.

Boudica vowed to take the island’s Roman unarmed civilians and revenge on the Romans for settlements, destroying 3 pack animals that the rape of her daughters major hubs of Roman travelled with Boudica’s and the mortification of her power by murdering army. The sources differ tribe. But the Iceni alone “Romanized” civilians, as to Boudica’s fate. could not defeat the and a Roman legion. The Some say that she growing Roman threat. battles were some of the escaped the battlefield,

Now the leader of her most brutal ever waged but died shortly people, Boudica united a against Rome. afterwards. number of British tribes – all Roman governor Paulinus The historian, Tacitus, of which were in danger of could not let her rebellion believed that she annihilation at Rome’s hand continue. The two armies poisoned herself, but -- and persuaded them to finally met on a plain not another record says she join her in a rebellion far from Londinium. The died from an illness while against the Empire. Then battle raged for hours, planning a new attack. she waited for an but in a conventional opportunity to strike. Whichever was true, battle, Boudica’s forces while British resistance to Driven by rage and the were no match for the Roman power had been desire for freedom, disciplined Roman troops. broken, the name of Boudica’s army stormed Scores of Britons were cut Boudica would live on in across Britannia on a slash down as they fled. The history as the first to unite and burn campaign against Romans slaughtered the the people of Britain.

About the Actor

Kirsty Mitchell (BBC), Monarch of the Glen (BBC), Today (ITV), Case Histories (PBS)