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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
(12-29-2017, 05:07 PM)Theoderic Wrote: why Colchester would ask the Procurator rather than the local commander for troops

The procurator was the senior man in the province after Paulinus, although as an equestrian he wouldn't have been able to command legionary troops or issue orders to senatorial legates like Cerealis. I doubt there was another equestrian officer in the neighbourhood - unless there was a fort nearby, all the auxiliary commanders would probably have been away with Paulinus in Wales or garrisoned on the western frontier.


(12-29-2017, 05:07 PM)Theoderic Wrote: he had the option then to regroup at St Albans with his reinforcements... especially if he sent the messages whilst on the march before High Cross

Maybe. Although T says that Paulinus considered choosing London as a 'seat of war' (sedem bello) before he got there, and I would estimate that he wouldn't have known about the defeat of Ceralis before he was south of High Cross anyway. BUt there's no way to be more exacting about the chronology of this stage, I think.


(12-29-2017, 05:07 PM)Theoderic Wrote: it wasn’t until SP had committed, visited London and then retreated (away from their homelands) that they then pushed on to London

Yes, I think that's quite likely. A lot of suggestions about this campaign (both ours ond those of others) rely on the assumption that Boudica and co were just busting to attack the Romans and couldn't wait to rush towards them. But I think this is unlikely - however outnumbered, a Roman legion in the field would be a serious proposition, especially for a largely untrained and poorly equipped rebel horde, and many people would die in the forthcoming battle. I doubt the Britons would be eager to go into a direct confrontation like that unless they had little choice about it.

So I agree - we could well imagine Boudica and the Britons lingering in their advance from Colchester, waiting to see what Paulinus was going to do, and only when he pulled out of the town did they capture and sack it.

(I'm tempted to imagine that P might have intended to use London and the surrounding area as bait, letting the rebels have it and plunder it at will to buy himself time to regroup. But that's just speculation.)


Eventually, of course, the Britons did fight a set-piece battle with Paulinus. Why that might have happened when it did is unclear, and relies on a lot of unknowns!


(12-29-2017, 05:07 PM)Theoderic Wrote: the tribes that I had thought that rose up were in the Midlands, West MIdlands and East of the countryI had thought that rose up were in the Midlands, West MIdlands and East of the country

That's the usual assumption, based on mira constantia medios inter hostes Londinium perrexit - 'with amazing courage/steadfastness he pressed on through the midst of the enemy to London'.

Although as far as I know there's no evidence of destruction linked to the revolt north of the Chilterns or west of the Wash.

The alternative idea is that Paulinus redirected his advance on Colchester southwards to London, perhaps down Ermine Street and the Lea Valley, thereby passing through the edge of Trinovantes territory, and this is what Tactius calls 'the midst of the enemy' - although the exact phrase seems to suggest more of a geographical middle!
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 - 01-03-2018, 09:50 AM

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