Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[MonsGraupius]

Meanwhile, in the interests of broad-minded creativity (and rampant procrastination), I've been thinking a bit more about the idea of the campaign shifting west towards the Berkshire Downs area, and how that might have happened.

This does involve granting the Iceni / rebel alliiance a lot more long-distance strategic, intelligence-gathering and logistical ability, besides military cohesion, than I suspect they really possessed, but for the sake of argument let's assume they could do this.

Suetonius Paulinus pulls out of London west with his expeditionary force and the refugees, heading for Silchester (Calleva). He destroys the bridge over the Thames at Staines (Pontes) to slow down the enemy pursuit. The Iceni and Co then sack London, with a side group heading off to attack St Albans. Paulinus remains at Calleva, awaiting reinforcements.

At some point, these reinforcements are going to start approaching down Watling Street from the campaign bases in North Wales and Wroxeter. They could either head straight for London, or divert via the fortress at Alchester to meet Suetonius at Calleva.

The Iceni, hearing of this, know that they are likely to be caught between the two forces, and that once Suetonius is reinforced his army will be too strong for them. So they decide (somehow!) to march north-west, either following the Thames or cutting through the Chilterns, to the fords at Goring or Wallingford and outflank Suetonius, hoping to destroy his smaller force before the larger army from Wroxeter can join him.

Suetonius Paulinus, alerted to the enemy movement and perhaps hoping to meet up with his relief force before they arrive, marches north from Calleva to around Pangbourne and then, finding that the enemy have already crossed the Thames, feints left onto the Berkshire Downs. He draws the Britons up onto the downs, into a suitable 'defile' (thought decent defiles are short supply around there!) and fights his battle.

So - what do people think? I still believe the Chilterns north of St Albans provide much better terrain options, and a less convoluted strategic situation. I do quite like this idea, somewhat far-fetched as it might be, mainly just as it's a bit different!

(map from https://imperium.ahlfeldt.se/)

I would not underestimate the complexity of Iron-age society ... they really were not that different from Romans. They also had a great deal of understanding of the wider world, and boudica knew what was happening in Rome and made some pretty insulting remarks about the emperor's wife. Likewise Calgacus was schooled in the politics of Europe.

But to your map: I looked at the map and thought: "No he first went south of the Thames". However, so long as he is leaving enough forces to secure the crossings as a "barrier", and so long as he is well in advance of Boudica, it does make more sense to go north of the river. I'd still have the Romans crossing the Thames and using it as an encampment. But I admit, if Boudica was still some way off, they could have used the Road to the west north of the Thames.

What I should add, is that I think the Thames itself was in some sense a "Roman road". As such there would be a number of Roman river boats capable of hauling supplies and people up the Thames.

If the force were split, I think Suetonius would be getting to London as the slower part got out of Wales. Now Suetonius has to send a messenger back, if this is done immediately and avoiding St.Albans, then my guess is that the messenger might meet the slower section somewhere after Birmingham. So, they could move south to meet Suetonius at Lutterworth or Towcester. I don't think that differs substantially from what you have drawn.

After sacking London and driving out Suetonius from the Catuvellani lands, Boudica attacks the Catuvellauni town of St.Albans. From this we can assume the Catuvellauni are pro-Roman, and disliked by the Iceni. Being next door neighbours, I can guess there were some ancient animosities.

As a substantial town, my gut feeling, is that the Iceni would have taken everything they could, loaded it onto carts and carried it off home. And, indeed, it was often a tactic of Romans to leave undefended towns to lure undisciplined armies to loot them as that created chaos in the enemy and many of the enemy, having got their ill-gotten gains, would return home. That would giveSuetonius the time to regroup.

At this time I'm trying to think like an iron-age leader. The remaining Gauli c"Belgae" tribes are in the SE and so likely to have been the Atrebates, Cantiaci, Regni, Belgae and just perhaps Dobunni. In Boudica's place I will probably be thinking that the Romans and their Belgae allies can be kept out of the Iceni lands, and I suspect all the other tribes in Britain are also wanting to keep the Romans and their allies out. Boudica is probably also thinking of the Thames as a general boundary.

I'd suggest she spent some time subduing her new conquest of the Catuvellauni and as the text says ... bypassing all forts to grab what can be secured from all the undefended "foreign" properties that have grown up. That's a lot of goods to haul back.

I'm going to guess there's an ancient tribal boundary to the SW of Watling Street going to the Chilterns either roughly where the M40 runs. (Oxfordshire - Buckingham border) ... or at the Thames, and that Boudica might be seeing this as the new boundary with what to her is the "Roman tribe".

So, I would have both Suetonius and Boudica sitting for a while. Suetonius building up resources and hoping to lure Boudica toward the Belgae tribes, so that would provoke them to support him. Boudica would be hoping that she can negotiate the the Romans to stay south of the Thames and SW of the "tribal boundary".

In order to provoke Boudica to battle, Suetonius then needs to advance, either across the Thames at London, or around Dorchester and perhaps to the M40 (not built at the time Trying to enforce this new boundary, Boudica would have sent envoys saying "if you cross this boundary we will wipe you from the face of the earth", etc.

Might I suggest a possible place for Suetonius is to make for St.Albans of the Catuvellauni? Because if he retakes St.Albans, that would be a great humiliation to Boudica, and would suggest that she is going to lose control over Catuvellauni tribal lands. She can't afford that, so she has to fight.

... and you know what ... I'm as near as makes no difference, back at Watling street.