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

....But then we should not expect otherwise, because that was the form of movement the barbarians in Europe were reported to have used by the Roman writers. There would have been a lumpen mass of men with the carts and faster-moving young warriors pushing forwards and outwards...

I know that we have talked about this before but I have come to the conclusion that we are talking about a totally different movement of people.

In the Gallic Wars where Caesar stops the movement of tribes, for example the Helvetii, this is a migration not an army and certainly the description that Steve mentions does reflect a migration.

The events we are describing is regarding armies which is different.

Therefore the movement would also have been different.

If we look at events around the Battle of the Medway the Brythons managed to amass a considerable force on the Medway (we assume it is considerable because they held a Roman army of some 40,000 men in battle for two days) in a short time scale.

This was however after two previous skirmishes between the opposing forces prior to this battle. The Brythons escape and reform at the Medway.

After the battle of the Medway the Brythons although beaten retreat swiftly and reform at the Thames.

Caratacus later in what was to become Wales also moves swiftly from place to place and even after his capture, the Silures appear where they are not expected and semi destroy a Roman Legion foraging.

Even after the battle where Boudica is defeated there is still resistance.

Tacitus states:
“The majority still remained under arms being exercised by a guilty sense of rebellion and a personal terror of the Governor.”

“The whole army was then brought together and kept under canvas to finish the remainder of the war.”


So although the battle was a turning point it was never the “final soloution”.

This was always the problem for the Legions, although they would beat the Brythons time and again in formal battle, the Brythons would retreat (or flee) and then rebuild for a further attack.

It was rare from what is recorded for baggage trains to be captured (Caratacus family after his final battle in Wales would be an example) although he escaped.

The only way that the Roman Army had to inflict a severe defeat was to either trap the warriors or to have enough cavalry to catch them in open pursuit.

Boudica's battle or the earlier suppression of the Iceni at Wandlebury Ring or Stonea Camp in AD47.

Anyway – the point that I am trying to make is that neither were the Brythons a moribund, amorphous blob, trudging along the tracks, nor were they unskilled in war as many a Roman general had already found out.

And they were quick on their feet....
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 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
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Deryk - 03-07-2015, 10:12 AM

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