Boudicca is a fascinating character in British history. Read on to find out who Boudicca was, where and when she lived, and why and how she fought against the Roman invasion of Britain.
Who was Boudicca?
We don't know much about Boudicca (also sometimes known as Boadicea) because only two people wrote about her, but it is believed that she was born around the year 30 CE in the east of England, probably around what is now Colchester. Boudicca became the wife of Prasutagus, who was the king of the Celtic Iceni tribe. The Celts were living in Britain at the time of the Roman invasions in 43 CE. Prasutagas and Boudicca had two daughters.
Boudicca's Revolt
When Prasutagus died, Boudicca became queen of the Iceni. Upon his death, the Romans took control of all the Iceni lands by force. They confiscated all of their property, and all the dead king’s relatives were made slaves. When Boudica protested against this, they beat and flogged her and her daughters.
Boudica was furious with the Roman rulers. She thought they were tyrannical and evil. Their actions caused widespread resentment towards the Romans’ rule of Britain.
Between 60-61 CE, Boudica led a revolt against the Romans. She led an army made up of 100,000 men from other Celtic tribes who were also unhappy with the Roman rule. They marched to Colchester (then the capital of Roman Britain). They took the city by storm, ransacking or torching everything they could find. Most of the city was burnt to the ground and they killed everyone they saw.
Boudica and her army continued their revolt in Londinium (now London) and Verulamium (now St Albans). Both cities were virtually destroyed. It is estimated that 70,000 - 80,000 people were killed altogether, some of whom were Celts. One of the reasons that Boudica and her followers were so successful was that the Roman army were busy fighting wars elsewhere. They hadn’t expected a rebellion in Britain, and were taken by surprise.
