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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
(01-10-2016, 04:47 PM)John1 Wrote: After Colchester we don't know who went where in what numbers. I still think it's very possible that after Colchester most of the force went home with their plunder and reformed at a later date to sort out Paulinus.

But why would Paulinus have first marched down to London, thought about fighting a battle there, and then evacuated it together with much of the population if the rebels were not approaching the city in considerable force?

There were almost certainly a number of smaller rebel bands, some operating fairly independently. But if the rebels had scattered after the sack of Colchester Paulinus could have dealt with them piecemeal, and it would have become a guerilla-style counter-insurgency campaign. We know, however (if we believe Tacitus at all!) that the conclusive battle featured a very large horde of rebels all together in the same place. And if they were travelling with wagons and women this was surely no rapid strike force.


(01-10-2016, 06:47 PM)Theoderic Wrote: Wagons and women were at the final battle but I am not sure that these were necessarily wives and no children or families are mentioned at all.

The word Tacitus uses is coniuges. That usually denotes wives, I think. But yes, it would have been clearer if he'd mentioned families too - however, we must assume, I think, that many married couples would not have wanted to leave their children back at home with the old people and in-laws!


(01-10-2016, 05:08 PM)John1 Wrote: As for "choke point" it must have been a narrow point fleeing horde had to pass through or they would have gone around it, terrain beats latin on this one.

I've suggested before that Tacitus may have been exaggerating the point about the wagons 'blocking the exits to the plain' - unless we're talking about a huge number of vehicles! A routed army will tend to flee towards its baggage camp, especially if there are wives and others in danger. If the Romans were following close behind this may have accounted for the resulting slaughter.

Meanwhile, I could point out that my Dunstable site features both a 'plain' and a 'choke point', if one is required! [Image: wink.png]
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 - 01-10-2016, 08:15 PM

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