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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Stepping back to 1073 Vindex;
“Has the concept of a prepared position ever crossed your mind?”

The whole issue of prepared positions is massive. I understood Verulamium and Towcester were not meaningfully fortified in 61AD. I had interpreted this as a symbol of confidence in Roman government, but if the “threat” of the Druids wasn’t yet subdued why would this be the case?

The distribution of garrisons at this period also seems rather peripheral, there really does seem to be a gaping hole in the middle of the country. Highcross would seem an obvious place for a garrison but there doesn’t seem to be a meaningful one there. Is this because the proto-Mercians were not a threat? Or are we missing a depot/garrison, even if modest on the scale of the others.

If there was no Midland garrison/depot then I would have thought the Staff would have made a special effort to get a really good knowledge of where there were sound positions to take up in an emergency, so even if not Moi’s “prepared positions”, then “pre-determined positions” would be at the top of Paulinus’ staffs minds.

The roll up the country in the preceding few years would have left a legacy of knowledge and/or entrenchments that could be utilised so I have no doubt Paulinus was heading for a known, probably partially prepared and possibly pre-supplied location. It would be naïve to think he just bimbled up the nearest site that looked ok under duress. He had time as the other side assembled and his staff and allies may have had the intimate knowledge he needed.

Where are the midland forts/camps from the initial "conquest" in the Midlands?

Maybe we are over estimating the potential cohesion of the British tribes, if the Coritani and Catavalunni were better disposed towards the Romans than they were to the Iceni, maybe no retreat West from Watling Street was needed to be in friendly territory. I have heard floated the theory that the Iceni were culturally different to the other tribes, an isolated land of immigrants from over the North Sea perhaps? A proto Saxon/Norse bridgehead?

I note the discussion has defaulted the movement model based on the Roman roads and beginning with a “P” so I’m going to keep out of that…..
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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
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by John1 - 11-23-2015, 11:41 AM

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