Back in the day when history was held by the Druids, when magic filled the land, and when Rome was out to conquer the world. There was one woman who stood up to the mighty Roman Empire. Her name was Boudica and she was a mighty warrior queen.
Her husband, Prasutagus, in order to avoid war and subjugation signed a treaty with Rome that left him nominally the head of his tribe, the Iceni. The Romans viewed the Celts as an ignorant primitive people who were always warring.
When Prasutagus died, he left half his estate to the Romans and the other half to his wife and daughters with Boudica as the ruling queen of the Iceni tribe. However, the Romans were certainly not going to share with a mere woman so they claimed it all. When Boudica protested, they flogged her and gang raped her daughters. However, because Boudica was a mere woman, the believed that her humiliation would have taught her a lesson and that she would somehow become obedient and docile. How wrong they were.
Instead of becoming subservient as they’d hoped, Boudica was really pissed off so she rallied her tribe and neighboring tribes who the Romans had also pissed off. In the end she rallied 100,000 wild Celtic Warriors and they sacked Camulodunum. They destroyed the town. When the Romans heard about that defeat and the fact that Boudica was on her way to London, they abandoned the town. Boudica and her Celtic Warriors laid waste to London, killing, plundering, and burring.
The Romans regrouped in West Midlands and forced a traditional battle as they knew they had a better chance of winning a traditional battle than the guerrilla warfare favored by the Celts. On the fateful morning when the Celts and Romans met, Boudica addressed her troops:
This is not the first time that the Celtics have been led to battle by a woman. I have not come to boast the pride of a long line of ancestory. Nor even to recovery my kingdom and the stolen wealth of my family. I take to this battlefield, like the meanest among you to assert the cause of Celtic liberty, and to seek for revenge for what was done to me at the Isle of Mona. My body and soul were left marked forever by the Roman lash of oppression. My two daughters were infamously violated by Roman cowards.
From the pride and arrogance of the Roman nothing is sacred; all of us are subject to violation, the old endure the lash, and our virgins are deflowered. But the vindictive gods are now at hand. A Roman Legion dared once to face the fury and might of the Celtic nation: with their lives they paid for their stupidity; those who survived the carnage of that day, lie poorly hid behind their entrenchments, thinking about nothing but how to save themselves by disgraceful flight. It is a good day for Romans to die today. From the sound of our preparations, and the shouts of the Celtic army, the Romans, even now shrink back in terror.
What will be their case when the assault begins? Look around and view your numbers. Behold, the proud display of warlike spirits; and consider the motives for which we draw the avenging sword. Today we must either conquer, or die with glory. There is no alternative.
Though a woman, my resolution is fixed. They men, if they please, may survive with infamy and live in bondage.
Conquer or Die
Boudica led her bold army into battle and although they outnumbered the Romans, they were defeated as the tight control and execution of the Romans battle plan was no match for the Celtics savagery. Boudica chose to commit suicide rather than live her life in defeat.
Despite having lost her final battle, Boudica remains an inspiring figure as she proves to us just what women can do and she has many lessons to teach us.
Cairn by Cairn 