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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Renatus wrote:

However, Tacitus tells us that the defenders’ plans were frustrated by a fifth column in the town sympathetic to the revolt. The precise meaning of this is not explained but one may surmise that some of the native population (perhaps the local aristocracy), who were believed to be loyal and trustworthy, persuaded the colonists that the threat of attack was illusory and that there was nothing to worry about. The result was that no defences were constructed and the elderly and the womenfolk were not sent away. It was not that the 200 troops did not arrive in time to organise the defences but that no one realised that it was necessary to do so until it was too late.

The “fifth column” remarks are indeed interesting and there seems to be a conflict here. If the residents of Colchester thought that there was no imminent attack why send to Catus in the first place for troops?

On reflection on your remarks my suspicion is possibly a combination of both theories where the Colchester residents sent for the troops, were then lulled into a false sense of security and did nothing regarding the defences and that when the 200 soldiers arrived from London any defence being put in place was too late before the Brythons arrived.


Renatus wrote:

I doubt that London was the one-horse town that some apparently have thought it to be. Tacitus says that, although not dignified with the title of colonia, it was “crowded to the highest degree with an abundance of traders and stores” (copia negotiatorum et commeatuum maxime celebre). Moreover, it was, presumably, where the procurator and the governor were based. We do not know that Catus took any of the wealth with him when he fled and it is unlikely that Paulinus took anything but provisions and that only what his forces could carry. Besides, as I have already observed, the rebels were not to know if anything had been taken.

People have not changed that much in two thousand years and refugees always flee away from the fighting not towards it. Rich refugees go first and take their portable wealth. You can look at any reports of refugees over hundreds of years and even to the recent wars in our times or more recent troubles in the Near and Far East.

From what we can gather Catus was a rapacious and cowardly man who fled once the troubles that he was partly responsible for came to light. For him not to have taken wealth with him in the ships would have been against character.

You are correct about the rebels not knowing whether there was anything there but obviously were not overly concerned as it was not as we have both agreed their prime target.


Renatus wrote:

Tacitus contradicts himself; in the Annals, he states that the rebels by-passed forts and military stations (omissis castellis praesidiisque militare). Nevertheless, in the Agricola, the attacks upon the troops and the storming of the praesidia appear as precursors to the invasion of the colony, not as separate acts by a different tribe.

It would seem that this attacking of forts etc. would have been the spark that started the chain of messages to Colchester, Catus, Cerealis and Paulinus. I agree that it was the precursor to the destruction of Colchester and was the Iceni recapturing their homeland.


Renatus wrote:

More significantly, though, is the fact that the sources make it absolutely clear that Boudica was the prime mover and leader of the revolt. She would not have had that status if she had remained in her homelands, even if she did raid a few forts, while the Trinovantes did the bulk of the fighting and carried the war to the centres of Roman influence.

I have to agree with Webster when he states that the Brythonic Army was split into two, one for the attack on a virtually undefended town and one that defeated the Ninth Legion.

I think that the Iceni regained their homeland, destroyed the Ninth whilst the Trinovantes destroyed Colchester and regained their farms and homes which Tacitus states had been taken from them.

The kudos would have gone to Boudica for the destruction of the Ninth.

Then once Paulinus left London they would have advanced under the tribal leader who had taken the forts and beaten a Legion.


Renatus wrote:

We do not know that anyone apart from Catus had left London before Paulinus arrived there. It may be precisely because they were the rich and powerful that he allowed some of the Londoners to accompany him.

As I have stated before human nature dictates that when Catus (the Procurator and therefore high government official) left so would the rest of the rich and powerful.


Renatus wrote:

Nothing in the sources suggests that the legion itself was reluctant to march. Postumus fell on his sword because he disobeyed his commander’s orders and thereby denied his legion its share of the glory of saving the province. The situation in AD43 was entirely different. Then, the invasion force was unwilling to embark because it considered that it was being required to campaign outside the limits of the known world. Refusal to fight against the rebels in AD61 would have been regarded as cowardice and would have brought condign punishment down upon the legion. Nothing of the sort occurred.

I don’t think that we can be so certain of that.

There are many instances where the Legions rebelled against their commanders but in this case Postumus fell on his sword perhaps even to save the Legion who obviously agreed with him.

The fact remains that after no doubt a number of messengers were sent that the Second did not come. If Paulinus could have got more troops easily (the rest of the Twentieth, the rest of the Ninth) no doubt he would have done. After all they were all nearer than the Second in Exeter.

My feeling is that he could not withdraw them without leaving the rest of the Province open to attack.

Kind Regards - Deryk
Deryk
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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 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 Deryk - 10-20-2012, 06:24 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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