Women Warriors: Queen Boudica
Culture Club/Getty ImagesBoudica or Boadicea, Queen of the British Iceni tribe, a Celtic tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.
The reign of Queen Boudica is one of fearsome revenge and injustice.
In 43 A.D. the Romans conquered southern England. They let several tribal kings continue to rule their people, including Prasutagas, who was the king of the Iceni tribe.
King Prastugas married Boudica and together they had two daughters. Because the couple had no male heirs, Prasutagas specified in his will that when he died his land and the Iceni people would be left to Boudica and their daughters.
However, when he died in 60 A.D., the Romans did not honor his request and annexed his kingdom. They also flogged, beat, tortured and raped Queen Boudica and her daughters. Boudica was not one to sit back let this grievous injustice against her family and her people go without retaliation.
She gathered her people and other tribes who had a bone to pick with the Romans and launched a series of savage attacks on their cities throughout England. It is said that her army had close to 100,000 soldiers.
They sacked two Roman cities including the capital of Roman Britain, Camulodunum. They destroyed buildings, burned cities to the ground and brutally murdered people. Boudica and her soldiers impaled their opponents on spears, cut them to pieces, crucified them, and hung them.
Wikimedia CommonsA drawing of Queen Boudica leading the rebellion.
However, before she could completely defeat the Romans, they overpowered her and her army. In her rebellion, it is estimated the Boudica and her soldiers killed close to 80,000 people.
The story of Queen Boudica’s revenge shows just how powerful a scorned woman can be, especially when given a sword.
