“…you
will see that in this battle you must conquer or die. This is a woman’s
resolve; as for men, they may live and be slaves, and captive, but I shall not.”
- Boudicca
Queen of the Iceni tribe of modern-day East Anglia, Britain, the female warrior Boudicca led a revolt against Rome in 60/61 CE. The Iceni King, Prasutagus, an independent ally of
Rome, divided his estate between his daughters and King Nero of Rome. When Prasutagus died, however, his lands were taken by Rome
and the Iceni lost their status as allies. When his wife, Boudicca, objected to
this action she was flogged and her two daughters raped. She mounted a revolt
against Rome which left the ancient Roman cities of Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium in ruins and over 80,000
Roman citizens of Britain dead. She was defeated at the Battle of Watling Street by the Roman Governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus chiefly by his
judicious choice of battlefield and allowing her army to cut off its own escape
route by encircling their rear with their wagons, animals and families.
Boudicca is said to have committed suicide by poisoning herself after her
defeat.
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