Boadecia or Boudicca
(??-62BC)
Pronounced Bo-da-see-ah
Boadecia whose name means victory was the queen of the Iceni a Celtic tribe during the time of the Roman occupation.Boadecia's husband the King Prasutagus died leaving as heirs to his kingdom Boadecia and their twelve year old daughters Camorra and Tosca however where Celtic laws permitted females to inherit land the Roman law did not and the Roman forces viewed their law as superior to Celtic law and as the only law of the land even though Prasutagus befriended the Romans and traded with them frequently.
The Romans took Iceni property as if it were theirs it was as if any alliance between the two never existed and they had been warring all along.In a horrible act of contempt against the Iceni Boadecia's daughters were both raped by Roman guards ,Boadecia herself was beaten and her family members were made slaves.
Now as the old saying goes hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and Boadecia's heart was turned towards justification for all her family and people had suffered.The Iceni joined with another Celtic tribe the Trinobantes and revolted by taking the Roman colony Camulodunum and destroying the temple there which was erected in tribute to Claudius who was the Roman emperor that conquered Britain.The Romans sent out an army to defeat Boadecia's legions but they were wiped out for Boadecia would spare no one.
Boadecia marched on to London and her armies obliterated the Romans there and burned down the entire city all Roman soldiers and citizens were killed by the time Boadecia was done 20,000 people died a slow painful death in that city even Celts that gave support to the Romans.
Boadecia's army was growing and gaining momentum they destroyed Verulamium and the surrounding villages and the Roman governor Gavius Paulinus gathered all the Roman forces in the south of Britain and attacked the Iceni Queen's army in a narrow valley before the battle Boadecia told her army "On this spot we must either conquer or die with glory.".
This was her last battle for the Romans were victorious Boadecia's forces made up of men and women and some youths were slaughtered 80,000 in all Boadecia and her daughters rather than be dishonored by capture poisoned themselves but the war was not over.
A year later Paulinus died and was replaced by Publius Turpilianus who was kinder to the Celts than his predeccesor and allowed the Celts to keep their laws and ways of life as long as they gave alliegance to Rome this policy lasted about 300 years until the end of the Roman Empire.
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Athena Review features a detailed account by the Roman historian Tacitus click here