Boudicca: The Iceni Queen

The Iceni were a Celtic tribe in Britain, at the region where Norfolk is located nowadays. They were led by the King Prasutagus, and in 43 BCE, when the Romans (under Emperor Claudius) conquered large portions of Britain, Prasutagus allied the Iceni to Rome. Upon his death, the King wanted his kingdom to be divided between his two daughters and the Roman emperor (Nero at the time of his death). However, the Romans ignored his will and not only decided they would rule the tribe themselves, but they also raped his young daughters, and flogged his wife and mother of his children, Boudicca. 

To the surprise of the Romans, who weren’t accustomed to women leaders as the Celts were, Boudicca led a rebellion against the them. Little is known about Boudicca’s background, but women enjoyed a certain freedom in Celtic tribes; they had positions of power, had political and religious roles, were warriors, and had the freedom to marry and divorce who they wished. Therefore, even if the Romans didn’t regard her as a leader, the Iceni certainly viewed her as their leader. Together with other Celtic allies, who were also under the threat of the Romans, she led one of the greatest rebellions in history against the Roman Empire. 

Boudicca and her allies first destroyed Camulodunum (modern day Colchester), and then they burnt Londinium (modern day London) to the ground; until today it’s possible to see the layer of burnt debris left by the rebels in London. After burning Londinium, the rebels destroyed Verulamium (modern day St. Albans). According to the Roman historian Tacitus, around 70,000 people were killed. The location of the next, final battle is unknown, but in this battle the Roman army led by Paulinus was finally able to defeat Boudicca.

The cause of Boudicca’s death is also unknown. She may have killed herself in order to avoid being taken prisoner, or died in battle. Also, it's important to remember that accounts about Boudicca and the rebellion she led are all written by Romans, her enemies. Britain stayed under Roman control until the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century BCE; still, Boudicca is remembered until today as a symbol of freedom and power for women.