27. The Ancient Queen Who Bestowed a Terrible Vengeance Upon Her Foes
Ancient British heroine and resistance figure Boudicca (circa 25 – 61 AD) was a warrior queen of the Iceni tribe. She is best known for having led a massive revolt against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire. Boudicca was born into tribal royalty around 25 AD, and as a young woman was married to the king of the Iceni tribe. Upon her husband’s death in 60 AD, he left his wealth to his daughters and to the Roman Emperor Nero, on the assumption that Nero would return the favor and bestow imperial protection upon his family.
Instead, the Romans simply seized all the deceased’s assets and annexed his kingdom. When Boudicca protested, she was flogged, and her two teenaged daughters were brutally assaulted by Roman soldiers in her presence. Understandably incensed, Boudicca launched a revolt in East Anglia, which quickly spread. Disgruntled Britons rallied to her by the tens of thousands, and she led them in a whirlwind campaign of vengeance. During the uprising, she put London and numerous other Roman towns and settlements to the torch, and her forces vanquished as many as 70,000 Romans and British collaborators.