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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Quote:It is interesting that if they knew the huge numbers that were supposed to be on their way that they stayed. So perhaps they did not know at the time how large the host was coming their way.
This is very likely. It is quite possible that many simply did not know what was going on, particularly if Catus quietly slipped away without anyone being aware of it, as seems quite probable. Apart from those in official circles, few would have had any hard information and, although there were probably rumours, many would probably have been inclined to disbelieve them.


Quote:Of course the really interesting part of this is why Paulinus took any refugees with him. He does not seem the compassionate type – certainly not against the Brythons either at Anglesey, at the Battle or afterwards.
Quite, and he was also impervious to all entreaties not to abandon London, although there were, of course, sound strategic grounds for him to leave. I suspect that those allowed to accompany him were those thought wealthy or influential enough to assist in the reconstruction of the province after the suppression of the revolt. Even so, there would probably have been conditions attached, predominantly that they would be able to keep up with the column and not slow it down in any way. This would probably mean that they would have to have had their own horses or horse-drawn transport and to have provided their own foodstuffs.



Quote:On the other hand the Trinovantes although Roman allies for over a century had their riches and lands taken away from them and treated as second class citizens. A lot of this was about revenge and recapturing what they thought was theirs.

Quote:I am of a mind where I see that each tribe would need to strive to retake their own properties and re-establish the aristocratic structure. There would have been no requirement for a combined force to take Colchester which was virtually undefended.

I still maintain that for the Iceni and the Trinovantes to have vacated their own homelands would have been suicide if the Ninth, Fourteenth and the Second had invaded from the North, East and South East.
I agree that revenge may well have played a large part in the rebels’ actions. However, the sources tell us that there was a conspiracy of the tribes to overthrow the Romans and to regain their freedoms. This could not be achieved by each tribe clearing its own territory of Roman influences and then settling back to await retribution. The route to success would be by carrying the fight to the Romans and eliminating opposition as it presented itself. However, if a tribe were intending to join the main war band, it would be logical for it to dispose of garrisons and centres of Roman influence within its territory before doing so. This may account for the destruction of Verulamium, which does not lie on the direct route of an army advancing from Colchester to London and on into the West.


Quote:Postumus would have been one of the bravest and experienced and trusted men in his Legion so there must have been very good reasons for him not have obeyed the summons from Paulinus.

There are many reasons postulated, a split Legion, being attacked by an uprising, ordered by his superiors to stay put, reports of a countrywide uprising etc.

It may have even been that Postumus like Cerealis had an overriding duty to defend against local uprisings and in fact was doing just that. The difference between him and Cerealis was that Cerealis was well connected.
One explanation that I have read (alas, I cannot remember where) is that the role of the Second Legion was to keep an eye on the tribes of the south-west and Postumus felt that he had to observe that obligation despite Paulinus’ order to join him. He had risen through the ranks to praefectus castrorum and his mind-set was still that of the common soldier. He did not have the strategic vision to see that, if Paulinus were defeated, the province would be lost and the south-west with it, so his duty was to support the governor and, if the south-western tribes did rise, they could be dealt with once the main rebellion had been put down.


Quote:My point is that the other officers must have supported his actions in such an important summons otherwise he would have been replaced.
What other officers? The legate and tribunus laticlavius were evidently absent. Would the centurions have mutinied and overthrown him? Very unlikely, I would have thought. They might not have liked his decision (assuming, of course, that he discussed it with them) but, ultimately, he was the man in charge and the overwhelming probability is that they would have deferred to his authority. What about the tribuni angusticlavii? He might have met more resistance from them but were they even there or were they with the legate? However, if they were there, he would still have outranked them and I think that, in the end, that would have been the deciding factor.
Michael King Macdona

And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
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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 Renatus - 10-23-2012, 02:09 AM
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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