2 – Battle of Watling Street (60/61)
The Romans were gradually making their way through Britain but the Iceni tribe, in modern-day Norfolk, had reached an agreement with the invaders. The Iceni agreed to stay out of Roman affairs in exchange for keeping their land. The tribe’s king, Prasutagus, believed it was prudent to create a will. In it, he left Iceni land jointly in the hands of his daughters and the Roman Emperor, Nero. When he died in 60/61 AD, however, Nero ignored the will, seized the land and made an attempt to disarm the tribe.
When Prasutagus’ widow, Boudicca, protested, she was whipped and beaten while her daughters were raped. The Iceni’s neighbors, the Trinovantes, had problems of their own. The Romans colonized their capital (modern-day Colchester) and built a temple to the former Emperor Claudius. As a result, the Trinovantes had no hesitation in allying with Boudicca when the warrior queen requested their help in an uprising.
The rebels descended upon Colchester and looted it; they murdered as many inhabitants as they could. By now, the uprising had gathered pace, and the rebels marched towards modern-day London. Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, the Roman Governor of Britain, considered meeting the rebels at London but decided that he didn’t have enough men to defeat the enemy. When Boudicca and her army arrived at London, they showed no mercy, killed hundreds of people and burned the city to the ground.
It was crucial for the Romans to quell the uprising as soon as possible because it was gathering impressive momentum. Boudicca’s next target was modern day St. Albans, but this time, Suetonius elected to meet them in battle. However, he had just 10,000 men against a rebel army that numbered 150,000 according to Tacitus. The precise location of the battle is unknown although historians believe it happened somewhere between London and St. Albans.
Although he was heavily outnumbered, Suetonius gave his army the advantage by lining up along a narrow gorge with a forest behind him. Bear in mind, the large British force described by Tacitus consisted of tens of thousands of women and children; they were also poorly equipped. Boudicca made the mistake of ordering a full frontal assault, and soon, her large army was packed into a giant mass. The Romans countered by throwing javelins, and they easily prevailed in hand to hand combat against the tightly bunched enemy.
When the British tried to flee, they got in each other’s way and were slaughtered by the combination of Roman infantry and cavalry. Only 400 Romans died against 80,000 Britons (probably an exaggeration by Tacitus), and Boudicca poisoned herself rather than face capture. Suetonius’ reward for winning at Watling Street was to be replaced as governor. The victory ensured Roman control in Southern Britain. However, the North remained volatile.