Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Renatus]

Renatus wrote:

As to the 200 men sent by Catus Decianus, London did not have a garrison at that time and Decianus cobbled together a force from whatever sources he could scratch together and armed them as best he could.  Possibly, some of them, at least, were members of the governor's staff, who had left most of their weaponry in their legionary fortresses and had only their side-arms.

It just seems strange to me that if the Colchester inhabitants didn't think that they would be attacked why ask for troops at all? 

I think that is easily explained.  They were alarmed by the impending threat and called for help.  Then they were persuaded that their fears were groundless and, accordingly, took no defensive measures.

Renatus wrote: 

It is highly unlikely that the Trinovantes were so naive as to believe that they had only to reclaim their lands, destroying the colony and slaughtering the veterans in the process, without incurring massive retribution from Suetonius when he returned from Wales.  The only way they could succeed was, in combination with the other tribes, to drive the Romans out of the province.


If your supposition is correct it would imply that the Brythons were well organised and already had in place agreements with other tribes (apart from the Iceni) for a countrywide insurrection before they attacked Colchester? 

That's what the sources tell us.  Tacitus, Ann. 14.31:  'Impelled by this outrage and the dread of worse to come - for they [the Iceni] had now been reduced to the status of a province - they flew to arms, and incited to rebellion the Trinobantes and others, who, not yet broken by servitude, had entered into a secret and treasonable compact to resume their independence.' (Loeb)