Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Owein Walker]

I am doubtful of Suetonius adopting Fabian tactics.

Whether he consciously did or not, I think Tacitus is at least implying he did.

This could be nothing more than Tacitus trying to cast a potentially embarrassing period of hesitation in the best possible light. But there must have been a resemblance to a strategy there for the implication to have any force.

I'm the first to admit I know nothing about Latin, but I thought Suetonius was forced into delaying the battle until he could rendezvous with his reinforcements, after St Albans was lost and some distance away. Perhaps his Plan was always to meet near St Albans, but that might have changed when he heard the Legion from Exeter was no longer to be expected.

I have always thought this post, from the beginning !, has understated the difficulties Boudicca must have faced trying to keep her 'army' in the field and united during the campaign, how Suetonius would have used it in his advantage.
     On one side we have fit disciplined soldiers, well led, with supplies and food, who really have nowhere else to go to, and on the other a thrown together mix of farmers, their families and some warriors, on the road for the first time, with various leaders they'd probably never seen before, that have to scavenge for food, who need to or want to return home.
 I can see  huge benefit for Suetonius if he can keep Boudicca's army marching, getting weary and despondent, for as long as  possible, so that when the time comes her army would be easier to break. 

Personal experience has taught me to encourage confidence in an enemy, so they lose caution and think the victory is theirs, that is the time to attack. If I've been outnumbered, or they have weapons, I would run some distance so that I'm only facing one enemy at a time, the front one. The blood rush of the chasers when they think you are running away to escape them takes over their caution, and they don't realize you are taking them to a place of your choice.

Dio Suetonius encourage Boudicca to be overconfident by moving away,while making sure her army would be tired and hungry?

 I believe it is a good reason to travel further away from St Albans, but stay within Catuvellauni  territory.

It is only my opinion that by travelling to London Suetonius made sure he was a target and by sacrificing St Albans he looked weak, this is now a ploy set to trap Boudicca.

I would do this, would you?

I am sorry for the delay, but I've tried to keep away.