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Sunday, March 31, 2019

Why Did Boudiccas Revolt Fail?

Why Did Boudiccas Revolt Fail?I determined to research the question why did Boudiccas Revolt fail? for my extended essay. I utilise primary and secondary sources. The books I use a range of sources from roman type era to the modern day historians. thither was a consummation throughout history where they forgot about Boudicca this was the middle mount ups where roman history had waned at this percentage point. My investigation scope was master(prenominal)ly limited to the military features except alike con locationred political concomitantors.The conclusions I arrived at in the End is that Boudiccas disorder failed, collectable to the military strength of the Romans serious beat arma manpowert who trained perpetuallyyday, the fact that Boudicca was against a un cudgelable rival, no matter how long she fought they would acquire always won til now if meant sending reinforcework forcets, and the last factor is that the Britons were given a work forcedacious sense o f security whilst dealing with the Romans as before the final difference of opinion the Romans had non considered her a threat worth dealing with so in that location was non much attention focused on her and her forceriors.IntroductionThe Romans maiden invaded Britain under Julius Caesar in the year 55 BC this except was unhappy timing as the Roman battalions were called off to compete an other war in Gaul at which point they didnt invade Britain extensively until AD 43 under the rule of Emperor Claudius whose general Aulus Plautius served as the start g everyplacenor of Britain. The Roman troops at the time had sent 40,000 men to obligate part in the initial onslaught1. The Emperor non yet sent foot soldiers tho also sent knight as wellspring, m all British kinspersons sought to make peace, for example the Trinovantes , art object many went to war against capital of Italy such(prenominal) as the Druids in Anglesey in Wales. These contends went on for many year s and the Romans were never fully able to worst Britain. The second contributing factor was Britain itself at the time of the Roman attack in 55BC Britain had already established economic and cultural trading patterns with Continental Europe. Boudicca ace of the closely revered women in history, led Britons in AD 61 to fight the Romans for their freedom. The key question for many historians is, why did Boudiccas revolution fail? In this essay I plan to give an serve of my own as to why the former menti one and merely(a)d happened. The Historical significance of this lawsuit is that a women who at the time were considered inferior, led the most significant rebellions against the biggest army the world has ever known. During the time of the rebellion the terrain of England would hang out been quite contrasting than the one we have today it would have been practically all farming(prenominal) with only a few inflexibletlements every so often, until you reached Roman land w here the cities would have been built up. What makes Boudiccas freak even more spectacular is that she managed ii attack to main Roman cities, which no other Rebellion ever managed to do.Chapter 1 Boudiccas backgroundBoudicca was born around 30AD, she lived in the Eastern side of Britain and was Queen of the Iceni, and her actual cobblers last is also shrouded in mystery. Tacitus states that she poisoned herself subsequently her defeat at the army of Suetonius.2Dio Cassius relates that Boudicca fell ill and then died3. Wailing Street. Boudiccas revolt can be pinned back to the point of her husband, King Prasutagus death. Prasutages was able to ingest Roman citizenship4, which accommodateed him to believe that in one case he died his Kingdom and its inheritors would be safe. Prasutages will, as Tacitus explains, split the Iceni grunge in half, one-half for the Emperor Nero and the other for his daughters. This could be a reason as to why the Romans walked into the Iceni terri tory as they did. They did not see women as leader material so they believed that they could take the other half of the Iceni territory for themselves as they believed that with no male ruler it would take root into chaos. The Nobles of the land were evicted from their ancestral homes, and the Royals were treated like slaves. Boudicca was flogged while her two daughters were raped. Since she herself was not raped, David Braund suggests that she was an elder woman5, which gives her rebellion from the Romans even more credit as this would have shocked the Romans even further since they believed that women were unable to fight, so an older woman leading a rebellion would be an alien conception to the Romans. This news would have chop-chop spread throughout the neighboring territories and would have led to even more resentment towards the Romans.Chapter 2 Roman impingement of EnglandRoman Occupation began in 43AD under the rule of Emperor Claudius the Romans managed to take all of Britannia but were never able to take Caledonia. The reason for Romes invasion was to help Emperor Claudius secure his position in Rome as he organizationd opposition from the Senate. The reason for this was because the Army was the main arteria of Rome and the army paid for themselves, war was very profitable. Roman market-gardening reflected this as each leader essential to prove himself as an apt army commander, and for Claudius Britain was to be his military victory.6This was very different to the initial invasion by Julius Caesar, who planned to invade Britain for he believed that they were helping Gaul by supplying them with equipment. In late August 55 BC, 12,000 Roman soldiers set down about 6 miles from D everyplace. Caesar had planned to land in Dover itself, but had to change his plan as many Briton soldiers had gathered on the cliffs ready to fight off the invaders. Even so, the Britons followed the Romans to their landing place and a fierce fight took place on th e beach. The Romans were forced to fight in the water as the Britons stormed down the beach. Caesar was impressed with the fighting qualities of the Britons The Romans were faced with dependable problems. These dangers frightened our soldiers who were not used to involvements of this kind, with the results that they do not show the uniform speed and enthusiasm as they usually did in battles on alter land.7However, the Romans fought off the Britons who withdrew. notwith rest it was pass water to Caesar that the Britons were anything but a pushover and by the end of the year the Romans had withdrawn to Gaul. This invasion gave some breathing pose for Gaul and they right away revolted. This dragged and the Romans went into Gaul to crush the revolt. It is also clear that Britain was an rethink due to three numerouss that had been destroyed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest by rebellious German tribesmen in 9 AD, and the Emperor Augustus concluded that the empire was overe xtended and called a halt to new wars of conquest. This war was a war of prestigiousness which Rome did not want to lose.Chapter 3, The development of the RebellionAfter the manipulation of Boudicca and her daughters, resentment towards the Romans grew even greater as the people saw only if how the Romans were willing to treat their apparent friends as before King Prasutagus death the Iceni tribe were friendly with the Romans. This would have allowed Boudicca to amass an army fairly easily, mainly due to the fact that many tribes already disliked Roman commercial enterprise and were looking for a reason to go to war with them. Boudicca went from tribe to tribe with her daughters explaining to tribal leaders that Rome had gone too far and they must(prenominal) take a stand to prevent them from going any further. As Tactitus also mentions Boudicea, with her daughters before her in a carry, went up to tribe later on tribe, protesting that it was indeed usual for Britons to fight under the leadership of women. But now, she said, it is not as a woman descended from noble ancestry, but as one of the people that I am avenging lost freedom, my scourged body, the outraged chastity of my daughters. Roman lust has gone so far that not our very persons, nor even age or virginity, are left unpolluted. But heaven is on the side of a righteous vengeance a legion which dared to fight has perished the rest are hiding themselves in their camp, or are sentiment anxiously of flight. They will not sustain even the din and the ridicule of so many thousands, much less our charge and our blows. If you weigh well the strength of the armies, and the causes of the war, you will see that in this battle you must clutch or die. This is a womans resolve as for men, they may live and be slaves.8This proved to the Britons that Boudicca was extremely serious about rebelling over Roman authorisation and she was confident that she would be able to successfully rebell against the Roman s. She believed this to be possible if she could incite the hearts and minds of all Britons. The reaction from the Romans during this inital uprising from Boudicca was minimal, it was unnoticed in Rome as they had the worlds largest empire to control. This could be another possible reason as to why the inital stages of the Rebellion from Boudicca was so successful, but once the Romans took notice the tables were quickly funed.Chapter 4, The importance of Colchester and LondiniumDuring Bouddicas revolt it was clear that Rome wasnt giving much oppostion9this would have encouraged her and her warriors to start making bigger attacks on Roman territory and this clearly happened. Boudicca laid siege on the capitol of Roman Britain Camalodunum (Colchester). This town however was mainly run by old Roman Veterans who would have improbable been able to fight. This lack of manpower and the fact that this urban center was a main artery for Roman Britain gave the Iceni and Boudicca the ince ntivite to destroy it. The 9th legion attempted to save the city but was ambushed by Boudicca and only a few survived10. The Army of Kelts set fire to the temple (which marked the conquest by Emperor Claudicus over Roman Britain) which burned everyone inside alive.After this victory Boudicca moved on to Londinium (London), the Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinus sent a few troops in time before Boudiccas very large army arrived, Tacitus then writesAt first, he Gaius Suetonius Paulinus hesitated as to whether to stand and fight there Londinium. Eventually, his numerical unfavorable position and the price only too clearly paid by the divisional commanders rashness decided him to sacrifice the single city of Londinium to save the duty as a whole. Unmoved by lamentations and appeals, Suetonius gave the signal for departure. The inhabitants were allowed to accompany him. But those who stayed because they were women, or old, or attached to the place, were slaughtered by the enemy.T his shows that the Romans were not too fearsome to defend their city and were willing to let the Iceni burn it to the ground, and allow the families to be slaughtered if they were unable to leave with the Romans. Following Tacitus translation he then states that in retaliation for the burning of the city, the Romans slaughtered 70,000 Britons.Following this attack Bouddicas forces moved on to the city of Verulamium (St Albans) and destroyed it, through the two attacks on Londinium and Verulamium an estimated 70,000-80,000 were killed by Boudicca and her forces11Chapter 5, The military differencesBy the time the final battle occurred Boudicca had amassed an army of over 200,00012, however this numeral differs between certain historians. Tacitus reported that there were 100,000 Britons and Cassius Dio estimated 250,000. There were British sympathizers and family members standing behind Boudiccas warriors both historians do agree on this matter. The Britons brought their carts, and wagons were arrayed shape the rear of the British position, forming a significant barrier to movement for the Britons when they needed to retreat13.The Romans on the other hand had a considerably small number of around 10,00014. Full time employed soldiers whose job was to fight, these men had an incredible amount of training and expertise and this would have come from the antecedent battles and wars throughout the previous centuries which allowed the Romans to perfect their battle formations and tactics. Whereas the Britons were mainly farmers and had little time to dedicate to learning how to fight successfully as a social unit and as individuals, the Romans had mastered sword combat at an early age and every morning had a gruelling training session to forever hone their skills. The Romans also did not have to worry about lean to their farms or families as the Britons did. According to Tacitus, Seutonius had a total of 10,000 including his 14th legion a vexillation of the 20 th Legion, and auxiliaries. Other estimates put the Roman force at 7000-8000 legionaries and 4000 auxiliaries (including cavalry). Part of the Roman armys training was a twenty Roman miles (18.4 miles) march (to be completed in five hours) carrying a full mass of weapons, shield, intellectual nourishment rations, a cooking pot and a short spade, along with their personal kit.15This was then followed by heavy weapon carrying Roman soldiers who attend weapons training every morning. Roman soldiers practised hand-to-hand combat with woody swords, spears and shields that were deliberately much heavier than those they used in battle. They trained with dummy swords and javelins make of wood.16The soldiers then practised Roman formations allowing them to work and move as one unit. The most formidable formation they used was the testudo (tortoise) in which the soldiers would sequester together and lift their shields, interlocking them together. The soldiers in the back lines rigid the ir shields over their heads to form a protective shell over the top of the men. The shields fitted so closely together that they formed one unbroken surface without any gaps between them. It has been said that it was so strong a formation that men could walk upon them, and even horses and chariots be driven over them. The Romans also used other formations such as The Wedge this was used to break enemy lines. This extreme training discipline compared to the lack of discipline in Boudiccas warriors gives the clear view that the Romans were going to win in the final battle.Although the Britons outnumbered the Romans greatly, the Britons were given a false sense of security . This was clear as Tacitus states that in the final battle all the Britons families had turned up to watch the Roman bloodbath. Up until the final battle, the Britons were constantly massacring the Romans, which included the 9th legion. This was due to the possibility that the Romans were not lay much effort into c ontaining Boudicca because they did not see her as a threat whereas the Druids in Anglesey and Gaul were bigger threats to the Roman power or their religion. one time Boudicca started attacking Roman towns and cities, the Generals of the region started to take notice and this was the turning point for Boudicca as the Romans started to put pressure and effort into removing Boudiccas threat from their land. However they lacked the superior(p) discipline and tactics that won the Romans a decisive victory. However the chariots were exceptional. This description is how Julius Caesar described the Britons chariot ability while during battle Chariots are used like this. First of all, the charioteers drive all over the field throw javelins. Generally, the horses and the noise of the wheels are enough to terrify the enemy and throw them into confusion, as soon as they have got through the cavalry, the warriors jump down from their chariots and fight on foot. Meanwhile, the charioteers the n move away and place their chariots in such a way that the warriors can easily get back on them if they are hard pressed by the size of the enemy. So they admit the easy movement of cavalry with the staying power of foot soldiers. Regular reading makes them so skillful that they can control their horses at a full gallop, even on a steep slope. And they can stop and turn them in a moment. The warriors can then run along the chariot pole, stand on the yoke and get back into the chariot as quick as lightening.17while in truth by AD61 the chariot drivers were the rich class and barely trained compared to the Roman charioteers. The main vile of Boudiccas army was foot soldiers who were mainly poor peasants and were unable to spend most of their time training with swords and had to struggle to just make enough food to feed their families. In truth the army of Boudiccas while great in numbers was unable to fight as proved in their final battle agaisnt the Romans who were outnumbered 20 to 1.Chapter 6, Strategy and tacticsUp until the final battle, which no one knows the place of, Boudicca and her warriors were easily defeating the Roman attempts to stop them. For example the 9th legion in the burning of Colchester. This was partly because Boudiccas battles happened when Suetonius Paulinus, the Governor of Rome, was away fighting the Druids in Anglesey, North Wales. This meant that the Romans who were left behind did not have a leader to tell them what to do. However, this was soon to change as General Suetonius Paulinus once hearing of the Iceni revolt came back to England and this was the turning point for Boudicca as the Romans quickly turned the tables. The battleground as previously stated is unknown but Tacitus wrote a position with a wood behind him (General Suetonius). This would have placed the Romans at the top of some sort of hill, which would have been in tutelage with the standard Roman tactics. With the wood behind them, the Romans would have chann elled the Britons so the Romans would only have to face Britons on one side. Behind the Britons was their family, as they had expect a Roman massacre, behind them was the bounty they had amassed from their previous raids. The Celts were very senior high school on enthusiasm, people were shouting and music was playing everyone was enjoying the atmosphere. The Romans expectation towards this battle would have been very different. The Romans rallied around their commander, who delivered his speech convincing them that the battle could be won. Boudicca gave a final speech, and then the Celts charged towards the Romans.18The outcome was that out of 10,000 Romans only 400 were killed and all of Boudiccas warriors were killed, including their families and most of the Iceni tribe. Those who managed to survive and escape moved to Norfolk where the Romans unploughed a close eye on them. Boudicca was said to have poisoned herself after the battle had been lost to avoid Roman capture, however there is no mention of what happened to her daughters as they seem to have vanished from the history books.Tacitus says nothing of her burial. There is a story that she was buried at Stonehenge and its legendary circle of stones were set up by the Druids to mark her tomb. However there is no unbendable historical evidence over this period and it is most probably a myth.ConclusionIn conclusion, the reason Boudicca lost against the Romans in her final revolt was due to a simple reason. Boudicca was up against the most formidable army the world has ever seen, and the Romans were never going to allow Boudicca to disgrace them and allow her to get away with it. Even if Boudicca had managed to defeat the Romans in her final battle it is most probable that the Romans would have sent reinforcements into Britain to wipe her off the face of the map. This was the key reason as to why Boudiccas revolt failed Boudicca had set herself an unattainable goal and she was never going to come out on top, no matter what the outcome of her final battle was going to be.

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