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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
(11-29-2015, 03:58 PM)Renatus Wrote: Where do you see Paulinus being on these two dates?  When do you envisage Paulinus hearing of Cerialis' defeat and where would he be on that date?

I suggest he leaves his camp on the Menai Strait opposite Anglesea on the 14th. By the 20th he's on Watling Street between Wroxeter and Mancetter, perhaps around Stretton Bridge.

Cerialis and his surviving troops could have retreated north and tried to link up with Paulinus on Watling Street, in which case he could have met them (or messengers with news of the defeat) on the 22nd or 23th, as he approached Towcester (and, indeed, passed Church Stowe!)

Alternatively Cerialis could have gone to St Albans and waited there for Paulinus, who would have arrived there on the 25th. (all dates hypothetical and provisional, of course!)

I agree that 'digging in' anywhere en route would have been unlikely (and not very Roman!).


(11-29-2015, 04:04 PM)John1 Wrote: he was occupying a "steep place"... you'd think he'd be at the top of it rather than the bottom/a third of the way up, with the bad guys having several options for routes to the top..... 

Once again, I'm afraid, no! Tacitus is very clear about the position: Paulinus was in the defile, so he had high ground on both flanks - presumably to funnel the enemy advance towards his troops. The enemy obviously did not attack the high ground, perhaps because (as I've suggested) Paulinus had already occupied it with his cavalry and light troops.

There's no suggestion at all that he was on top of a hill or halfway up a slope.

The note about making sure there were no enemies behind him may indicate that this was a possibility. Paulinus therefore scouted the area to his rear to make sure there was nobody flanking him before taking up his final position. Clearly he did not believe he was in an impregnable spot, and we should not be looking for one.

(11-29-2015, 09:10 PM)John1 Wrote: The dashing round trip only took up 2 of his days

And this from a man who Tacitus describes as "naturally inclined to delay, and a man who preferred cautious and well-reasoned plans to chance success" (Histories, 2.25)?

I think not!
Nathan Ross
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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 Nathan Ross - 11-30-2015, 12:23 AM

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