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


Nowhere in the south east was - Colchester and London were both unfortified settlements at this point. It seems that the Romans did not regard the south east as a military zone, and (excepting some possible forts on the margins of Iceni territory, and the procurator's bodyguard in London) they took no steps to garrison or fortify the province. Tacitus calls St Albans 'unsafe for a defending force'.

Although I agree that the towns of Colchester, London and St. Albans were regarded as not being in the “militarised zones” and were therefore undefended and unwalled there were soldiers based in London (after all 200 were sent to Colchester by the Procurator) and therefore you would think that there was a small fort or military establishment at the very least.

Graham Webster does mention that there were some 137 possible forts during the invasion and expansion period.

Some of these forts would have been garrisoned but a bit like police stations but on a larger and more substantial scale.

Tacitus does mention at the beginning of the campaign that “and after pursuing the soldiers scattered among the Roman forts and capturing the garrisons, they invaded the colony itself”

 Also later “Like ruin fell on the town of Verulamium, for the barbarians, who delighted in plunder and were indifferent to all else, passed by the fortresses with military garrisons ……”

Also Cerialis retreated to a fort when he lost the column that he was leading to relieve Colchester.
 
Robert Vermaat wrote:

I would think that would be more the case for the tribes along the south coast? I could not say that the Iceni were not any different from their neighbours, but if so that would be far more the case of the Cantiaci, the Artrebates, Regni and Durotriges?

Julius Caesar remarks that the Cantiacii were very similar to the Gauls and Commius, Clent King of the Atrebates in Gaul (Belgium), communicated with the Atrebates in the South and possibly also other tribes including the Trinovantes during the second expedition of Caesar to Britain.

Commius also became leader of the Atrebates in Britain after he fell out with Caesar.

The Parisii were another tribe associated with the continent but also in the north of Britain.
 
 
Robert Vermaat wrote:
Has there ben any research about the extent of the defeat of Legio VIIII, as well as the place of the ambush?

The location of the site of the defeat of half of the Ninth Legion depends on the interpretation of events.

Tacitus states that the Brythons flushed with success advanced to give him battle.

This could imply that the Brythons were returning from Colchester or that they had already returned and were waiting for a Roman attack.

The Brythons were not unsophisticated when it came to warfare and had been fighting the Roman Army for over 15 years so would expect a counter attack or defence force to be sent to the seat of the battle at Colchester.

Typically the Brythons were successful ambushing the Roman Legion when they were on the march and the 9th were on the march.

It is also interesting that the cavalry escaped but all the infantry were wiped out which might indicate a surprise attack.

If they had been deployed in battle no doubt the cavalry would also have been overwhelmed.

Cerialis was known to be rash and brave so it is unlikely that he would have left his troops in open battle.

He was to become a future Governor of Britannia himself.

It is possible that the 9th travelled down the Via Devana (Leicester to Longthorpe to Cambridge to Colchester) past Wandlebury Ring down past Bartlow and were ambushed around the Sturmer / Wixoe area where the road intersected the Roman Road from Great Chesterford (on the Icknield Way) to Long Melford .

This would be a place where a military force would pass on their way to Colchester from the North.     
 
Robert Vermaat wrote:

And how would the succesful ambush of Cerialis have been a factor in the mind of the british as to the approach of Paulinus?


The news of the destruction of Colchester and part of the 9th Legion would have spread like wildfire and raised the spirits of Brythons.

The Romans had lost their capital of the Province and their soldiers had been beaten.

Arguably this was the biggest defeat that the Roman Administration and Army had suffered in Britannia and this would have attracted more tribes to the Iceni / Trinovantes coalition which would end with nearly a quarter of million people surrounding the Roman Army at the later battle.

A lot of Brythons were obviously disaffected with Roman Rule.

It was just that the Roman Governors and Procurators didn’t realise this until it was too late.

Nathan Ross wrote:

I was thinking about John's suggestion of the Nene valley as a route for the Iceni - could it be that Iceni cultural and political influence was carried westwards along the Nene and into the Midlands, and so the people of this region joined in the revolt? The area concerned would seem to fit very well with this spread of forts.

Interesting observation.......

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 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 - 11-23-2015, 10:38 PM

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