Boudica :: essays research papers

Twenty years after the invasion, Britain was feeling oppressed by the Roman Empire, none more so than the Iceni tribe. Their recently king, Prasutagus, had left the Icenian land to the Romans in his will, besides on certain conditions. Upon his death, the Romans took oer without abiding by any of these conditions, treating the land as if it was theirs by remedy of conquest. There was looting and tyranny, the kings family was abused and the Romans savagely govern over the Iceni. A nonher factor in aggravating the Britons was that the occupiers began to recall cock-a-hoop loans which had been forced upon unwilling Britons. Some Britons were conscripted into the soldiers, the Roman procurators wanted to extract as much wealth as could be had from the latest addition to the empire.Boudica, having been interact and indeed flogged as a slave, decided to rebel. She joined forces with the Trinovantes, who had their own reasons to loathe the Romans. Some of their land had been taken from them to form part of Camulodunum (now Colchester). One of buildings in it was the Temple Of Claudius, it was hated by the oppressed masses and became the first bulls eye of Boudicas attack. The colonists appealed for help and troops were sent from Londinium, but these amounted to just two hundred and were ill equipped for the task. The veterans and the troops took cover in the Temple but were soundly bea ten-spot after two days, the temple was destroyed and the town sacked. Petillius Cerialis, camped with Legio IX eight miles away at Longthorpe hear of the revolt and raise off for the town, but he was ambushed and at length defeated. Boudica heartened by this conquest now marched on Londinium.Suetonius Paullinus was at an island in north Wales when he heard of the rebellion. He made haste for Londinium with Legio XIV, but his journey was slow and when at length he arrived in Londinium he realised that he did non have enough troops to defend it, and so the largest town in Britain was abandoned. Verulamium too could not be held and so the army retreated.When Boudicas army reached London they thought of nothing but loot and so did not make for the militarily strategic points but instead to wherever they could dishonor the most money, this proved their downfall.While the Britons looted, Paullinus gathered his men which amounted to some ten thousand and chose a place of battle most advantageous to him.