These events follow on from The Battle of Ynys Mon.
WHEN Prasutagus, King of the Iceni and a good friend of Rome, died in AD 60, Catus Decianus, Procurator of Britain, confiscated his lands in lieu (he said) of debts, kicking off a fire sale that saw Roman army veterans from Camulodunum help themselves to the treasures of his palace, raping his daughters and flogging his widow, Queen Boudica.*
In a fury of vengeance, Boudica raised a revolt. Standing tall in her chariot, with her mass of waist-length red hair and colourful robes, she fell on Camulodunum, flattened the town, and crushed the Ninth Legion, before moving on to Londinium and Verulamium.
There her rebels slew and mutilated the inhabitants in an orgy of blood-letting dedicated to Andraste, goddess of victory.
Paulinus raced back from Anglesey, and despite being outnumbered, defeated Boudica somewhere along Watling Street.
The embittered queen died in mysterious circumstances; but both Paulinus and Decianus were relieved of their responsibilities, and Rome’s policy in Britain subsequently became more humble.
Camulodunum is now Colchester; other placenames in this story include Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St Albans). Watling Street is a Roman road leading diagonally across England from London to Shropshire.
Précis
Boudica was a queen of the Iceni, who raised a revolt in AD 60 after her late husband’s kingdom was confiscated by the Roman Procurator in Britain, and her daughters were raped. She sacked Colchester, and put London and St Albans brutally to the sword, before Suetonius Paulinus defeated her. Thereafter, Rome showed the people of Britain more respect. (58 / 60 words)