Thread Rating:
  • 4 Vote(s) - 5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Nathan Ross wrote:

The account of the Iceni uprising follows directly, in Annals, from the section about the destruction of the druids, but Tacitus draws no connection between the events. Would he not have mentioned, either in his summary of Iceni grievances or the speech he gives to Boudica, if there was some druidic or religious aspect to the revolt?

Tacitus does make a large play on the Druids regarding the invasion of Mona and also the destruction of the peoples and their religious places on Mona - annihilation would probably be more apt. 

I think that it is wrong to think of the Druids only as a religious sect. It would seem from Caesar's writings that Druidism was a way of life with a structure and order as the administrators of both Gallic and Brythonic society based on a common legal system that all the tribes were able to follow.

Britannia was acknowledged as a place where people were taught by the Druids.

So I do agree with what Tacitus states as a reason for attack (although the threat on the flank is definitely "potential" rather than threatening as the Northern tribes had already been subdued some time before) but stamping out Druidism was essential to the Roman cause.

Caesar when writing of his battles of the Gallic War does not mention that he is fighting Druidism either or that there were any links but of course in fact he was fighting to supplant the "old religons" with Roman standards, religions and laws.

There is no reason to think that Boudica was not a Druidic Leader herself and the reference you make implies this.

Being allied to Rome as a Client Kingdom probably allowed you to continue your old religion but be on the same side politically as the Romans.    

There is a link with religion in the uprising, not from an Iceni point of view but from the view of the Trinovantes. At Colchester the Temple of Claudius was being built and being built no doubt by local slave labour but also by huge contributions from the local aristocracy. This is mentioned by Tacitus as a major reason for disatisfaction by the Brythons amongst others.

Communication between tribes was effective and also co-operation as well, against an external force, where mutually beneficial for the impacted tribes. Organised tribal resistance happened - as Caesar found out in his second incursion when his ships were attacked on the coast by the Kent kings on the orders of Cassivelaunus who was harassing Caesar and his army, more than 100 miles away.

 


      
Deryk
Reply


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
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by Theoderic - 11-08-2015, 02:02 PM

Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Armchair Wall walking mcbishop 3 3,479 01-11-2012, 03:22 AM
Last Post: Vindex

Forum Jump: