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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
#46
Quote:To my mind it still makes absolutely no sense to retreat to the north or north-west.

A retreat south across the Thames would be a good defensive move, but would leave all of Britain except Kent exposed to the depredations of the natives. And why would Paulinus be short of supplies if he was in contact with the Channel ports? We know that he was previously engaged in a campaign in Wales, presumably from the base at Wroxeter, which would be well supplied with grain, and close to remnant of the 20th legion - his line of communication would surely therefore be north-west up Watling street, not south.

Added to which, a move northwest would keep pressure on the western flank of the Iceni. Boudica's force seems to have included most Iceni men of fighting age, plus a large number of woman and children; Icenia itself would therefore be almost undefended. By moving northwards, Paulinus could threaten the exposed heartland of the Iceni, and force Boudica's force to turn back from the settled areas of the southern coast and march in pursuit. Clever, or skillful, perhaps?

Quote:So we're back to a flying column

Without further evidence, I really think we have to discount any ideas of flying columns. Paulinus, we know from Tacitus, was a slow-moving cunctating beast of a commander, not a celeritating Caesar by any means. I don't see him 'flying' anywhere in a hurry!

Quote:if he goes north he is not retreating but rather returning to his main body of troops, maybe digging in, to an RV with Legio II.

But II Augusta were in the west, so if he was planning to meet them he should surely have moved in that direction...

The movements (or not) of II Augusta are actually an intriguing side issue here. It's commonly assumed, following Webster again I think, that Poenius Postumus killed himself because he'd kept his legion in camp and not moved to assist Paulinus. But Tacitus merely says that Postumus, "conscious that he had cheated his own corps of a share in the honours and had violated the rules of the service by ignoring the orders of his commander, ran his sword through his body" (Annals 14.37). So what was the order that Postumus ignored? If we can imagine that Paulinus was shifting about in a series of tactical 'delays', it's quite feasible that Postumus was indeed on the move with the second, but grew doubtful of his commander's strategy and ignored an order to re-route his march, or perhaps double his pace, to link up with Paulinus. More a fatal difference of opinion than a straightforward refusal of orders, which would surely have led to Postumus' speedy execution before he had time to fall on his sword...

- Nathan
Nathan Ross
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Nathan Ross - 05-27-2011, 06:45 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM

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