10-17-2021, 03:15 PM
Britannia must have been costing a fortune to maintain an army of around 40,000 men, and was a great drain on the Treasury and this needed to be paid for, as did the speculative loans from the Roman aristocracy including Senecca.
Already at this time there was extraction of Iron from the Weald, Lead and Silver from the Mendips, Copper, Wheat and Slaves would also have been for the taking as well as land at this time with Gold being extracted later.
The removal of the Client King arrangement to bring the Iceni land into the fledgeling province, under Nero’s estates, must have been quite a military exercise even though it is given little description.
It would have to have been backed up with force and with the full knowledge of Seutonius Paulinus using Catus Decianus to administer the civil actions required by Nero and also possibly Senecca with the Trinovantes to repay the money required to build the Temple to Claudius in Colchester and the wheatfields of the Iceni.
If this was the case it seems likely that the Iceni were stripped of their wealth and lands during the winter of AD60 / AD61 whilst there was an overwhelming local Roman presence.
Seutonius Paulinus must have underestimated, like Scapula before him and have thought that the Iceni were compliant when he left his rear unguarded.
Copper and Gold mines in North Wales were the next obvious military campaign target as well as the wheat fields of Anglesey. The by-product of being able to attack the Druids in their seat of learning was advantageous but unrealistic as an attempt to remove the Druids as they would have had plenty of time to disperse. As a publicity exercise it was superb.
Generally the speed of travel by the Brythonic fighting force was always faster than that of the Roman Army as Caesar found in his expeditions to Britannia.
One of the major problems for Roman Generals was to defeat Brythonic armies completely in a formalised battle but they often escaped to harry the Roman columns through guerrilla warfare using hit and run raids and ambush. A roman marching column was particularly sensitive to this type of attack again as Caeser had found and was born out in the Teutenburg forests in Augustus’ reign.
On every occasion where there was a pitched battle the Romans inevitably won, which makes me think that although the Iceni could have defeated the 9th Legion on their way home, it seems more likely that, as the cavalry were probably at the front of the column and therefore nearest the enemy if there was a face to face confrontation and they escaped, that the column was ambushed with the infantry taking the brunt of the attack whilst in disarray on the march.
(Below is my estimation of events given the estimated 18mpd for the Roman Army and 10mpd for the Brythons. I have tried to find a reason of why Colchester was completely undefended if troops had arrived from London at Colchester which would have given a few days for either the population to be evacuated or defences to have been thrown up. Also tried to incorporate Nathan's thoughts as well where we occasionally coincide. The days and therefore dates for the march could be reduced considerably (if Seutonius Paulinius had marched his army at 50 mpd, allowing for Seutonius Paulinus to arrive a couple of days before the Brythons in London if that was their prime objective - although ihe latter seems unlikely seems unlikely).
AD60
September - December:
Prasutagus, King of the Iceni, supposedly wealthy, dies. His will divides the Iceni kingdom between Rome and his own two unmarried daughters. His widow Boudica becomes regent.
Nero decides to dissolve the Client King status to bring the Iceni lands under his total control and in line with Imperial policy.
Seutonius Paulinus obeys the decision and supports Catus Decianus in taking the Iceni lands into the Province as has already been done under Scapula with the Trinovantes.
Boudica disputes the right the Roman’s have to take all her husbands lands and Catus Decianus meets out a severe punishment having Boudica whipped, her daughters defiled, sells her relatives into slavery and evicts the Iceni aristocracy by force and installs tenants into their estates. Once the action had been taken by this insensitive Procurator, Seutonius Paulinus could not reverse events
AD61
January:
Boudica and her aristocracy lay plans to get back their lands and have secret meetings with the Druids to arrange tribal discussions with the Trinovantes, the Catauvelauni and the Coritani.
February:
Secret meetings take place with the Trinovantes to take back all the lands that have been appropriated by Roman veterans from both tribes. The obvious target is the destruction of Colchester to bring in the Trinovantes to the Iceni side and to allow the Trinovantes to reclaim their lands.
Ground is prepared for the spring wheat sowing by the Brythons
The tribes start to re-arm in secret.
March:
Spring wheat sown for tribute to Rome.
Brythons secret rearming continues
Seutonius Paulinus plans with his senior commanders from the 14th and the 2nd Legions for the upcoming campaign against the Decangli and the inhabitants of Mona.
Garrisons are set by SP for Cornwall / Devon, Wales and the North Midlands and East. Half Legions (2,000 men) kept at Longthorpe, Usk and Exeter (6,000 altogether) the rest of the army dispersed to garrison duties apart from the 14th and the Batavians based at Wroxeter.
April:
Rearming in secret of the Iceni and Trinovantes continues
Supplies gathered by SP at Rhyn Park for the invasion
May:
Boudica celebrates Beltaine and establishes herself as the figurehead reborn for the rebellion, if no longer a Queen, now a religious figure.
Rearming of the Iceni continues
War games at Wroxeter for the 14th and the Batavians
June:
Re-arming by the Brythons continues
Seutonius Paulinus, the 14th and the Batavians advance to Rhyn Park from Wroxeter
Seutonius Paulinus marches into North Wales, heading for Anglesey, building roads and bridges and subduing resistence as he marches.
July:
Paulinus continues to advance the 75 miles occupying territory and establishing forts along the road to protect his supply line.
Paulinus arrives opposite Mona and builds his camp
Paulinus builds landing barges at his camp on the Menai Straits
Re-arming continues for the Iceni and the Trinovantes
August:
August 1st
Boudica celebrates Lughnasadh / Lammas (cutting of first sheaves) (The release of the hare incident - possibly) Iceni begin mustering at Thetford.
Harvest continues
Paulinus invades Anglesey and destroys the Furies
August 12th
Commander at Colchester sends to Catus Decianus in London for re-inforcements for the Festival of Consulia and tribute from Iceni and Trinovantes
Catus Decianus sends letters to Cerialis and Seutonius Paulinus of his actions.
August 13th
Iceni, having completed muster of people from the north of their lands, move from Thetford to Bury St Edmunds.
Cerialis receives word that the Festival is going to be much bigger than expected.
The Iceni leave Thetford for Colchester with wagons of wheat as tribute and continue to pick up people and wheat as they go via Bury St Edmunds
August 14th
Catus Decianus sends 200 lightly armed troops to Colchester
Seutonius Paulinus receives word that the Festival is going to be much bigger than expected and extra troops have been requested
Paulinus expands his landing area on Anglesey and pushes inland capturing slaves and land.
August 15th Roman troops burning Druid groves on Anglesey.
Attacks on outlying Romanised settlements and villas begin. News of Iceni mobilisation reaches Colchester.
Commander of Colchester garrison sends to Catus / Cerialis and Seutonius an urgent HELP request for more men due to the of numbers of tribes people on their way.
August 16th The 200 re-inforcements from Catus Decanius arrive at Colchester
The letter for HELP arrives with Catus and Cerialis
Despite the extra troops, the garrison and the veterans living in Colchester no defensive ditches are dug.
August 17th
Iceni arrive at Colchester and the Trinovantes join them with their tribute camping and surrounding the city. The final the muster is complete.
Letter for HELP from Colchester arrives at Seutonius’ camp
Cerealis sends letter to Seutonius to saying he has gone to Colchester
Letter sent to Cerealis from Seutonius asking him to wait at Godmanchester
August 18th
Cerealis takes the 2,000 infantry and his cavalry to relieve Colchester
Paulinus completes his conquest of Anglesey and begins establishing and garrisoning forts around the Menai Strait and North Wales.
Seutonius receives Cerealis letter saying he has gone to Colchester
Festival Consualia
Iceni and Trinovantes attack
Temple of Claudius under siege and set on fire
Rest of Colchester sacked and plundered.
Smokeand glow from fires seen from 20 miles away in Chelmsford and by shipping in the Thames
August 19th
Seutonius Paulinus musters an expeditionary force.
The sacking and looting of Colchester continues
Romans taking shelter in the Temple to Claudius are slaughtered
August 20th
Seutonius Paulinus, with c.7,000 men (14th Legion, plus 4 auxiliary units) begins a march of 100 miles to Wroxeter
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 1 (at 18 miles a day for 100 miles = 6 days)
Iceni and Trinovantes finish sacking Colchester
August 21st
Iceni & Trinovantes leave the burnt out shell of Colchester to go home – fields to till and lands to reclaim
Cerealis’s force is destroyed a few miles outside Colchester (either ambushed or outnumbered by the returning Iceni). Cerealis falls back to his last marching camp and defends himself there.
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 2
Catus Decanius gets reports back of widespread reclamation of land by the Trinovantes and destruction of towns (Chelmsford destroyed) and Roman farmsteads by the Trinovantes. Sends letter to Seutonius Paulinus and Cerelias of the situation and loads valuables on to ships
August 22nd
Cerealis sends message to Seutonius Paulinus and Catus Decanius telling of defeat and the loss of Colchester
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 3
Catus Decianus receives Cerealis defeat letter and leaves for Gaul
August 23rd
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 4
Seutonius Paulinus receives Cerealis defeat letter
August 24th
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 5
Catus arrives in Gaul and sends a message to Rome, reporting the imminent loss of the province.
August 25th
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 6, arrives at Wroxeter.
August 26th
Seutonius Paulinus replenishes and rests his troops for one day and re-groups
August 27th
Seutonius Paulinus back on the road to go down to protect St Albans. Day 8 after leaving Mona (125 miles @ 18miles per day = 7 days) down Watling Street.
August 28th
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 9 after leaving Mona
Iceni and Trinovantes (moving at 10 miles a day) all back home.
Warrior bands destroying Roman farms, towns and reclaiming their lands. Possibly when Godmanchester destroyed.
Farmers and families tilling for the upcoming sowing of winter wheat in October
August 29th
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 10
Brython scouts monitor Seutonius Paulinus movements
August 30th
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 11
Warrior bands deploy at the borders and access points into Trinovantes and Iceni Territory expecting attacks to be launched in the form of reprisals by Seutonius Paulinus
August 31st
Seutonius Paulinus on Road Day 12
September 1st
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 13
September 2nd
Seutonius Paulinus arrives at St Albans Day 14, Infantry rested
September 3rd
Arrives in London 12 days after Trinovantes and Iceni leave Colchester and 15 days after he leaves Mona.
Seutonius Paulinus takes Cavalry and mounted Batavians to London on Day 15 to meet with Catus Decianus for a report and finds he has left but is told of the destruction of various towns and roman tenanted farmsteads between London and Colchester and Chelmsford which he confirms by scouting.
September 4th
Seutonius Paulinus, deciding that London cannot be held, orders the inhabitants to evacuate the city. He sends messages to the 2nd Legion detachment at Exeter to march via the Fosseway and Akeman Street, and to the 20th Legion at Usk, – collective rendezvous at St Albans – and to Rome requesting reinforcements.
September 5th
Seutonius Paulinus prepares his troops and gathers supplies and weapons at London, destroys warehouses south of the River Thames and burns London Bridge.
September 6th
Seutonius Paulinus retreats from London towards St Albans with refugees and supplies. Order to march reaches 20th Legion at Usk.
Brythonic scouts pick up retreat and inform Trinovante leaders who call for able bodied to muster at London. Couriers sent to Iceni Leaders of developments. Iceni Warbands
sent to St Albans and the able bodied called up to muster at Dunstable at the joining of Watling Street and the Icknield Way. Messages sent to the Catauvelauni and Coritani of impending battle opportunity and muster.
September 6th
Commander of 20th Legion sends to Veterans at Kingsholme to go to Seutonius Paulinus aid as holding down insurrections in Wales
September 7th
Seutonius Paulinus reaches St Albans, Order to march reaches 2nd Legion (under Poenius Postumus) at Exeter. Due to insurrections like the burning at Silchester in the South West, 2nd Legion does not send troops. (Had they been sent they would have arrived in time for the battle)
September 8th
Seutonius Paulinus still at St Albans, sending out scouts and detachments to watch the enemy. 20th Legion veterans, from Kingsholme on the road towards St Albans via Cirencester and Alchester. (5 Days march 18 miles per day)
September 9th
20th Legion Veterans pick up Cavalry Allae based at Cirencester
Letter sent from Seutonius Paulinus to outlying Roman forts to meet at Tring
Seutonius Paulinus sends letter to troops coming from the West along Akeman Street to camp near the (undiscovered fort?) near Tring (possibly near Cow Roast or Aston Clinton) and await for expected re-inforcements from Dorchester on Thames, Dunstable, Towcester etc.
September 10th
Veterans on the road.
September 11th
20th Legion Veterans pick up troops from Alchester.
September 12th
Trinovante warriors and Farmers muster outside London. Seutonius Paulinus remains at St Albans. Roman Veterans arrive at Aston Clinton with other troops
September 13th
London attacked and burnt by the Trinovantes
September 14th
London sacked
September 15th
Trinovantes advance on St Albans. Scouts report to Seutonius Paulinus who leaves St Albans and marches to Tring fort 1 day journey.
September 16th
Seutonius Paulinus takes troops to the battle field at Pitstone Hill.
Iceni / Coritani / Catauvellauni arrive at Dunstable with their baggage trains.
September 17th
Trinovantes arrive at an abandoned and bare St Albans. Messages sent to the Iceni at Dunstable to cut off Seutonius Paulinus on Akeman Street at Aston Clinton. Trinovantes advance up the Bulbourne to Cow Roast. Catus’s initial message of disaster arrives at Rome.
September 18th
Trinovantes and Iceni meet at Pitstone Hill to do battle with SP.
Battle is joined. Roman victory. Boudica defeated. Brythons flee back home
September 19th
Paulinus rests his troops after the battle.
September 20th
Sends messages for the 2nd (from Exeter) and 20th (from Usk) Legions (4,000 infantry) plus distributed forts throughout Wales to join him at St Albans. Messages sent to Rome of victory and asking asking for re-inforcements.
September 29th
Army starts to assemble at St Albans and immediate repairs started.
September 30th
Brythons arrive back home.
October 1st
Crop planting season begins around now, interrupted due to war.
October 2nd
Classicianus ordered to Britain from Gaul as replacement procurator.
October 5th
2nd and 20th Legions of 4,000 men arrive at St Albans
October 10th
Paulinus consolidates army outside London. “The whole army was then brought together and kept under canvas to finish the remainder of the war.”
October 15th
Classicianus reaches Britain as replacement Procurator.
October 20th
Re-inforcements arrive from the Rhine making at the very least an army of 10,000 legionaries, 6,000 auxilliaries, and 2,000 cavalry for the early campaign
October 25th Roman troops spread out across Iceni land burning crops and villages. Boudica takes poison and dies.
November – December
Paulinus sends his main army into winter quarters. Detachments continue devastating rebel lands: “whatever tribes still wavered or were hostile were ravaged with fire and sword.” Classicianus becomes concerned that the Province is being denuded of resources pointlessly. Classicianus sends report to Rome complaining of Paulinus’s actions: “no cessation of fighting must be expected, unless Suetonius were superseded.”
Forts re built and new ones started through Iceni and Trinovante lands.
Iceni driven into the Fens where they continue to wage guerrilla warfare.
AD62
February
Attacks continue in the Fens and several ships wrecked in a storm while supporting land troops in counter-insurgency operations. Classicianus sends report of the losses, and the ongoing severity of Paulinus's actions, to Rome.
March
Nero sends Polyclitus, ordered to investigate the situation in Britain, sets out from Rome with a huge retinue.
April
Polyclitus arrives and sends more favourable report to Rome, then departs Britain.
June
Turpilianus arrives in Britain and replaces Paulinus
July – September
Famine – limited spring sowing undertaken by the Iceni (as many still at war) and the reduced winter wheat sown due to the war on reclaimed estates taken by Rome as their tribute, leave little for the Iceni and cause major famine.
Already at this time there was extraction of Iron from the Weald, Lead and Silver from the Mendips, Copper, Wheat and Slaves would also have been for the taking as well as land at this time with Gold being extracted later.
The removal of the Client King arrangement to bring the Iceni land into the fledgeling province, under Nero’s estates, must have been quite a military exercise even though it is given little description.
It would have to have been backed up with force and with the full knowledge of Seutonius Paulinus using Catus Decianus to administer the civil actions required by Nero and also possibly Senecca with the Trinovantes to repay the money required to build the Temple to Claudius in Colchester and the wheatfields of the Iceni.
If this was the case it seems likely that the Iceni were stripped of their wealth and lands during the winter of AD60 / AD61 whilst there was an overwhelming local Roman presence.
Seutonius Paulinus must have underestimated, like Scapula before him and have thought that the Iceni were compliant when he left his rear unguarded.
Copper and Gold mines in North Wales were the next obvious military campaign target as well as the wheat fields of Anglesey. The by-product of being able to attack the Druids in their seat of learning was advantageous but unrealistic as an attempt to remove the Druids as they would have had plenty of time to disperse. As a publicity exercise it was superb.
Generally the speed of travel by the Brythonic fighting force was always faster than that of the Roman Army as Caesar found in his expeditions to Britannia.
One of the major problems for Roman Generals was to defeat Brythonic armies completely in a formalised battle but they often escaped to harry the Roman columns through guerrilla warfare using hit and run raids and ambush. A roman marching column was particularly sensitive to this type of attack again as Caeser had found and was born out in the Teutenburg forests in Augustus’ reign.
On every occasion where there was a pitched battle the Romans inevitably won, which makes me think that although the Iceni could have defeated the 9th Legion on their way home, it seems more likely that, as the cavalry were probably at the front of the column and therefore nearest the enemy if there was a face to face confrontation and they escaped, that the column was ambushed with the infantry taking the brunt of the attack whilst in disarray on the march.
(Below is my estimation of events given the estimated 18mpd for the Roman Army and 10mpd for the Brythons. I have tried to find a reason of why Colchester was completely undefended if troops had arrived from London at Colchester which would have given a few days for either the population to be evacuated or defences to have been thrown up. Also tried to incorporate Nathan's thoughts as well where we occasionally coincide. The days and therefore dates for the march could be reduced considerably (if Seutonius Paulinius had marched his army at 50 mpd, allowing for Seutonius Paulinus to arrive a couple of days before the Brythons in London if that was their prime objective - although ihe latter seems unlikely seems unlikely).
AD60
September - December:
Prasutagus, King of the Iceni, supposedly wealthy, dies. His will divides the Iceni kingdom between Rome and his own two unmarried daughters. His widow Boudica becomes regent.
Nero decides to dissolve the Client King status to bring the Iceni lands under his total control and in line with Imperial policy.
Seutonius Paulinus obeys the decision and supports Catus Decianus in taking the Iceni lands into the Province as has already been done under Scapula with the Trinovantes.
Boudica disputes the right the Roman’s have to take all her husbands lands and Catus Decianus meets out a severe punishment having Boudica whipped, her daughters defiled, sells her relatives into slavery and evicts the Iceni aristocracy by force and installs tenants into their estates. Once the action had been taken by this insensitive Procurator, Seutonius Paulinus could not reverse events
AD61
January:
Boudica and her aristocracy lay plans to get back their lands and have secret meetings with the Druids to arrange tribal discussions with the Trinovantes, the Catauvelauni and the Coritani.
February:
Secret meetings take place with the Trinovantes to take back all the lands that have been appropriated by Roman veterans from both tribes. The obvious target is the destruction of Colchester to bring in the Trinovantes to the Iceni side and to allow the Trinovantes to reclaim their lands.
Ground is prepared for the spring wheat sowing by the Brythons
The tribes start to re-arm in secret.
March:
Spring wheat sown for tribute to Rome.
Brythons secret rearming continues
Seutonius Paulinus plans with his senior commanders from the 14th and the 2nd Legions for the upcoming campaign against the Decangli and the inhabitants of Mona.
Garrisons are set by SP for Cornwall / Devon, Wales and the North Midlands and East. Half Legions (2,000 men) kept at Longthorpe, Usk and Exeter (6,000 altogether) the rest of the army dispersed to garrison duties apart from the 14th and the Batavians based at Wroxeter.
April:
Rearming in secret of the Iceni and Trinovantes continues
Supplies gathered by SP at Rhyn Park for the invasion
May:
Boudica celebrates Beltaine and establishes herself as the figurehead reborn for the rebellion, if no longer a Queen, now a religious figure.
Rearming of the Iceni continues
War games at Wroxeter for the 14th and the Batavians
June:
Re-arming by the Brythons continues
Seutonius Paulinus, the 14th and the Batavians advance to Rhyn Park from Wroxeter
Seutonius Paulinus marches into North Wales, heading for Anglesey, building roads and bridges and subduing resistence as he marches.
July:
Paulinus continues to advance the 75 miles occupying territory and establishing forts along the road to protect his supply line.
Paulinus arrives opposite Mona and builds his camp
Paulinus builds landing barges at his camp on the Menai Straits
Re-arming continues for the Iceni and the Trinovantes
August:
August 1st
Boudica celebrates Lughnasadh / Lammas (cutting of first sheaves) (The release of the hare incident - possibly) Iceni begin mustering at Thetford.
Harvest continues
Paulinus invades Anglesey and destroys the Furies
August 12th
Commander at Colchester sends to Catus Decianus in London for re-inforcements for the Festival of Consulia and tribute from Iceni and Trinovantes
Catus Decianus sends letters to Cerialis and Seutonius Paulinus of his actions.
August 13th
Iceni, having completed muster of people from the north of their lands, move from Thetford to Bury St Edmunds.
Cerialis receives word that the Festival is going to be much bigger than expected.
The Iceni leave Thetford for Colchester with wagons of wheat as tribute and continue to pick up people and wheat as they go via Bury St Edmunds
August 14th
Catus Decianus sends 200 lightly armed troops to Colchester
Seutonius Paulinus receives word that the Festival is going to be much bigger than expected and extra troops have been requested
Paulinus expands his landing area on Anglesey and pushes inland capturing slaves and land.
August 15th Roman troops burning Druid groves on Anglesey.
Attacks on outlying Romanised settlements and villas begin. News of Iceni mobilisation reaches Colchester.
Commander of Colchester garrison sends to Catus / Cerialis and Seutonius an urgent HELP request for more men due to the of numbers of tribes people on their way.
August 16th The 200 re-inforcements from Catus Decanius arrive at Colchester
The letter for HELP arrives with Catus and Cerialis
Despite the extra troops, the garrison and the veterans living in Colchester no defensive ditches are dug.
August 17th
Iceni arrive at Colchester and the Trinovantes join them with their tribute camping and surrounding the city. The final the muster is complete.
Letter for HELP from Colchester arrives at Seutonius’ camp
Cerealis sends letter to Seutonius to saying he has gone to Colchester
Letter sent to Cerealis from Seutonius asking him to wait at Godmanchester
August 18th
Cerealis takes the 2,000 infantry and his cavalry to relieve Colchester
Paulinus completes his conquest of Anglesey and begins establishing and garrisoning forts around the Menai Strait and North Wales.
Seutonius receives Cerealis letter saying he has gone to Colchester
Festival Consualia
Iceni and Trinovantes attack
Temple of Claudius under siege and set on fire
Rest of Colchester sacked and plundered.
Smokeand glow from fires seen from 20 miles away in Chelmsford and by shipping in the Thames
August 19th
Seutonius Paulinus musters an expeditionary force.
The sacking and looting of Colchester continues
Romans taking shelter in the Temple to Claudius are slaughtered
August 20th
Seutonius Paulinus, with c.7,000 men (14th Legion, plus 4 auxiliary units) begins a march of 100 miles to Wroxeter
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 1 (at 18 miles a day for 100 miles = 6 days)
Iceni and Trinovantes finish sacking Colchester
August 21st
Iceni & Trinovantes leave the burnt out shell of Colchester to go home – fields to till and lands to reclaim
Cerealis’s force is destroyed a few miles outside Colchester (either ambushed or outnumbered by the returning Iceni). Cerealis falls back to his last marching camp and defends himself there.
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 2
Catus Decanius gets reports back of widespread reclamation of land by the Trinovantes and destruction of towns (Chelmsford destroyed) and Roman farmsteads by the Trinovantes. Sends letter to Seutonius Paulinus and Cerelias of the situation and loads valuables on to ships
August 22nd
Cerealis sends message to Seutonius Paulinus and Catus Decanius telling of defeat and the loss of Colchester
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 3
Catus Decianus receives Cerealis defeat letter and leaves for Gaul
August 23rd
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 4
Seutonius Paulinus receives Cerealis defeat letter
August 24th
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 5
Catus arrives in Gaul and sends a message to Rome, reporting the imminent loss of the province.
August 25th
Seutonius Paulinus on road day 6, arrives at Wroxeter.
August 26th
Seutonius Paulinus replenishes and rests his troops for one day and re-groups
August 27th
Seutonius Paulinus back on the road to go down to protect St Albans. Day 8 after leaving Mona (125 miles @ 18miles per day = 7 days) down Watling Street.
August 28th
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 9 after leaving Mona
Iceni and Trinovantes (moving at 10 miles a day) all back home.
Warrior bands destroying Roman farms, towns and reclaiming their lands. Possibly when Godmanchester destroyed.
Farmers and families tilling for the upcoming sowing of winter wheat in October
August 29th
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 10
Brython scouts monitor Seutonius Paulinus movements
August 30th
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 11
Warrior bands deploy at the borders and access points into Trinovantes and Iceni Territory expecting attacks to be launched in the form of reprisals by Seutonius Paulinus
August 31st
Seutonius Paulinus on Road Day 12
September 1st
Seutonius Paulinus on road Day 13
September 2nd
Seutonius Paulinus arrives at St Albans Day 14, Infantry rested
September 3rd
Arrives in London 12 days after Trinovantes and Iceni leave Colchester and 15 days after he leaves Mona.
Seutonius Paulinus takes Cavalry and mounted Batavians to London on Day 15 to meet with Catus Decianus for a report and finds he has left but is told of the destruction of various towns and roman tenanted farmsteads between London and Colchester and Chelmsford which he confirms by scouting.
September 4th
Seutonius Paulinus, deciding that London cannot be held, orders the inhabitants to evacuate the city. He sends messages to the 2nd Legion detachment at Exeter to march via the Fosseway and Akeman Street, and to the 20th Legion at Usk, – collective rendezvous at St Albans – and to Rome requesting reinforcements.
September 5th
Seutonius Paulinus prepares his troops and gathers supplies and weapons at London, destroys warehouses south of the River Thames and burns London Bridge.
September 6th
Seutonius Paulinus retreats from London towards St Albans with refugees and supplies. Order to march reaches 20th Legion at Usk.
Brythonic scouts pick up retreat and inform Trinovante leaders who call for able bodied to muster at London. Couriers sent to Iceni Leaders of developments. Iceni Warbands
sent to St Albans and the able bodied called up to muster at Dunstable at the joining of Watling Street and the Icknield Way. Messages sent to the Catauvelauni and Coritani of impending battle opportunity and muster.
September 6th
Commander of 20th Legion sends to Veterans at Kingsholme to go to Seutonius Paulinus aid as holding down insurrections in Wales
September 7th
Seutonius Paulinus reaches St Albans, Order to march reaches 2nd Legion (under Poenius Postumus) at Exeter. Due to insurrections like the burning at Silchester in the South West, 2nd Legion does not send troops. (Had they been sent they would have arrived in time for the battle)
September 8th
Seutonius Paulinus still at St Albans, sending out scouts and detachments to watch the enemy. 20th Legion veterans, from Kingsholme on the road towards St Albans via Cirencester and Alchester. (5 Days march 18 miles per day)
September 9th
20th Legion Veterans pick up Cavalry Allae based at Cirencester
Letter sent from Seutonius Paulinus to outlying Roman forts to meet at Tring
Seutonius Paulinus sends letter to troops coming from the West along Akeman Street to camp near the (undiscovered fort?) near Tring (possibly near Cow Roast or Aston Clinton) and await for expected re-inforcements from Dorchester on Thames, Dunstable, Towcester etc.
September 10th
Veterans on the road.
September 11th
20th Legion Veterans pick up troops from Alchester.
September 12th
Trinovante warriors and Farmers muster outside London. Seutonius Paulinus remains at St Albans. Roman Veterans arrive at Aston Clinton with other troops
September 13th
London attacked and burnt by the Trinovantes
September 14th
London sacked
September 15th
Trinovantes advance on St Albans. Scouts report to Seutonius Paulinus who leaves St Albans and marches to Tring fort 1 day journey.
September 16th
Seutonius Paulinus takes troops to the battle field at Pitstone Hill.
Iceni / Coritani / Catauvellauni arrive at Dunstable with their baggage trains.
September 17th
Trinovantes arrive at an abandoned and bare St Albans. Messages sent to the Iceni at Dunstable to cut off Seutonius Paulinus on Akeman Street at Aston Clinton. Trinovantes advance up the Bulbourne to Cow Roast. Catus’s initial message of disaster arrives at Rome.
September 18th
Trinovantes and Iceni meet at Pitstone Hill to do battle with SP.
Battle is joined. Roman victory. Boudica defeated. Brythons flee back home
September 19th
Paulinus rests his troops after the battle.
September 20th
Sends messages for the 2nd (from Exeter) and 20th (from Usk) Legions (4,000 infantry) plus distributed forts throughout Wales to join him at St Albans. Messages sent to Rome of victory and asking asking for re-inforcements.
September 29th
Army starts to assemble at St Albans and immediate repairs started.
September 30th
Brythons arrive back home.
October 1st
Crop planting season begins around now, interrupted due to war.
October 2nd
Classicianus ordered to Britain from Gaul as replacement procurator.
October 5th
2nd and 20th Legions of 4,000 men arrive at St Albans
October 10th
Paulinus consolidates army outside London. “The whole army was then brought together and kept under canvas to finish the remainder of the war.”
October 15th
Classicianus reaches Britain as replacement Procurator.
October 20th
Re-inforcements arrive from the Rhine making at the very least an army of 10,000 legionaries, 6,000 auxilliaries, and 2,000 cavalry for the early campaign
October 25th Roman troops spread out across Iceni land burning crops and villages. Boudica takes poison and dies.
November – December
Paulinus sends his main army into winter quarters. Detachments continue devastating rebel lands: “whatever tribes still wavered or were hostile were ravaged with fire and sword.” Classicianus becomes concerned that the Province is being denuded of resources pointlessly. Classicianus sends report to Rome complaining of Paulinus’s actions: “no cessation of fighting must be expected, unless Suetonius were superseded.”
Forts re built and new ones started through Iceni and Trinovante lands.
Iceni driven into the Fens where they continue to wage guerrilla warfare.
AD62
February
Attacks continue in the Fens and several ships wrecked in a storm while supporting land troops in counter-insurgency operations. Classicianus sends report of the losses, and the ongoing severity of Paulinus's actions, to Rome.
March
Nero sends Polyclitus, ordered to investigate the situation in Britain, sets out from Rome with a huge retinue.
April
Polyclitus arrives and sends more favourable report to Rome, then departs Britain.
June
Turpilianus arrives in Britain and replaces Paulinus
July – September
Famine – limited spring sowing undertaken by the Iceni (as many still at war) and the reduced winter wheat sown due to the war on reclaimed estates taken by Rome as their tribute, leave little for the Iceni and cause major famine.
Deryk
