Boudicca: First Britannia Queen

Musical about the life & times of Boudicca Queen of the Iceni Celts and leader of the last Celtic uprising.

PERIOD IN HISTORY: AD43–AD61; Featuring years: AD43, AD60 & AD61; PLACE: Britannia.

Julius Caesar had invaded Britannia initially in 55BC. However Caesar himself had to leave with part of that invasion army early in campaign leaving a skeleton force to ‘represent’ Rome until his returned. He never came back. This limited force wasn't strong enough to conquer the whole island, but strong enough to have strategical influence on traditional, new or 'enforced' Roman supporters, based mainly in the south of the island Britannia. At that time, this reinforced the divide regarding where specific tribes stood, or should stand, culturally and politically with their 'European' neighbours.
this meant that pro-Roman Celts, many who had been trading and living Roman lifestyles even before Caesar’s invasion, at times were left confused and insecure.
Over the next hundred years the Celts, in whole or in part, saw their allegiances harden. Some tribes wanted or needed profitable trade with anyone and didn’t mind if it was at the expense of new rules and new laws imposed by Rome. Other tribes didn't want this due to complex problems of power struggles, taxes and having to worship, or at least respect, new Roman gods instead of, or as well as, their own.
We pick the story up in AD43.
Under the insecure leadership of Emperor Claudius, the Roman’s, prepare to “re-conquer” Britannia with a stronger invasion force. Upon arrival they found a land still a patchwork of pro and anti-Roman tribes. The most skilled of these was King Caractacus assisted by Togodubnus, (Togo) representing the Druid priesthood.
Caractacus used this cultural divide as reason /excuse, to argue, fight or even war amongst themselves where he and his followers would be around to pick up the financial legacy.
Upon the invasion by Claudius and with troops from across their empire, Caractacus fought all over the south of Britannia.
meanwhile Boudicca is preparing to marry her husband–to-be King, Prasutagus. The Druids use this wedding as a propaganda opportunity to ‘bad mouth’ the rumours of a possible “imposing visit" from the Emperor much to the uncomfortable ears of the pro-Roman tribes who are also attending the wedding festivities.
Meanwhile, self proclaimed saviour of the future of Britannian culture King Caractacus, gathers his followers ready to challenge the Roman invasion.
Fast forward a few days and back to the 'honeymoon, ' Queen Boudicca and her new husband ‘Prince’ Prasutagus are practicing swordsmanship. They have little time for celebration as Togo has planted a seed of doubt into their joyous occasion.

Some weeks later and a hundred miles away, the new King and Queen are going through their regular swordsmanship exercises. Meanwhile, Caractacus and his 'terrorists' and the Roman soldiers are fighting each other through rivers and estuaries in the south of Britannia. Running parallel to these skirmishes in distant forests, senior Roman negotiator Aulus Plautius arranges for 11 Celtic Tribal leaders to greet Emperor Claudius upon his arrival at Camulodunum (Colchester).
This gathering at the gates of the city includes Boudicca’s husband Prasutagus, representing the sick King Seamus.
These arrangements by Plautius are made to promote good will and to try to prevent an all out war, it only divides the 11 Celtic tribes further away from the pro-Druid Celts under Caractacus.

The Kings meet Claudius and he marches into Camulos quickly making it his new Roman capital of Britannia (Camulodunum) much to the confusion of the 11 tribal leaders. Prasutagus reports back to inform Seamus and Boudicca about the Roman upstart Claudius. If it comes either sooner or later, Boudicca is fit and ready for battle. King Seamus dies. Boudicca, now as Queen and political and spiritual leader of the Greater and Lesser Iceni Tribe, fits into his position and Prasutagus fits into Boudicca’s.
This young Queen has inherited a difficult period in the Iceni Tribe’s, and Britannia’s, cultural future.

AD60: Emperor Claudius had long been assassinated.
His liberal laws that he felt would gradually move hard-line Celts towards pro-Roman opportunities were not marketed or sustained by his successor Nero under the new political regime.
Nevertheless over these intervening years, Romans had re-establish themselves amongst the Celtic islanders as conquerors and are now part of the re-labelled Britannian culture to be re-enforced as Romano-Celtic Briton. Although Romans are living in relative peace in the south, south east and the midlands, Rome still sends troops, out to the far reaches of the islands to stifle hard-line Druid uprisings. These troops are to hunt down Celts who could enjoy the benefits of better trade, exotic goods and fashionable riches, will not take the new Roman policies of this cultural upheaval lying down.

Sticking up for his new policies throughout his powerful empire, Emperor Claudius and then Emperor Nero’s troops had gradually depleted Caractacus’s renegades. A major blow to Caractacus was that in one of the skirmishes over the River Thames, his brother Togo was killed falling off his horse.

Now ‘young’ Petillius Cerealis had worked hard behind the scenes to become a successful soldier and budding politician. He had come through the ranks in Britannia and back in Gaul and is now a Roman Lieutenant in the IXth Legion in Lindum (Lincoln).
Whilst Boudicca was in Venta Icenorum (Caistor St Edmond), husband King Prasutagus dies of natural causes. Out of respect for Romano-Celtic laws, rituals and the bigger picture of Romano-Celtic relations, Boudicca and her two daughters Scathlach and Olwen go to the Procurator [Chancellor of Exchequer-cum-Home Secretary] Catus Decianus [Scrooge] to tell him of her sad news. They go to ask Catus to the funeral and to confirm that earlier agreements with Emperor Claudius set out in King Prasutagus' will would be respected with regards to Celtic land rites. Decianus rejects Boudicca’s claims; arrests her and two daughters, beats them up making them walk back home. Bloodied and beaten, Boudicca, Scathlach and Olwen, stagger home. Once finally there, Boudicca rallies tribes against Rome targeting city dwelling Romano-Celtic Britons.

Boudicca rallies troops from the main Celtic parties in the area and argues for the overthrowing of all things Roman. This confuses Celts as many people are involved with, or related in some way to, Roman citizens (Romano- Britons). Internal and external disputes take place.
First blood to Boudicca as Camulodunum (Colchester) is cleverly attacked at Claudius’s Veterans Temple.
Here Roman religious “Hocus Pocus” took place in front of a tribute statue dedicated to that former Roman Emperor, and of course god.

Due to the absence of Governor Suetonius Paulinus who‘s in Mona (Anglesey) fighting anti-Roman Druids, 200 badly equipped men were sent by Catus to defend the ‘veterans’ from the angry Celtic Tribes

AD61
Boudicca’s troops destroy Londinnium (London) burning it to the ground including the home of Procurator Catus Decianus.

Boudicca surrounds Verulanium (St Albans) destroying it and with a large following of Celtic troops and their families, go and surprise the advancing Suetonius Paulinus on the way from Deva (Chester).

Both armies meet on either side of the River Anker, Atherstone off the Watling Street Roman Road. Boudicca, Scathlach and Olwen have accumulated 300, 000 Celts to the east. Suetonius Paulinus is on the west. Here they meet, for what turns out to be, the decisive battle.

After a long wait, and even longer fight, Boudicca’s army is cleverly outclassed and defeated. Battle scared Boudicca escapes with her daughters but after brief reflections they commit suicide by taking poison. Petillius Cerealis visits site of Boudicca’s death.
The aftermath of battle is left with Cerealis who reviews the consequences of war and reflects on why peace, partnerships and patients are both Rome, and Britannia’s future.

In conclusion: Today’s questions about the fears of an all empowering European state and "freedom fighting" (aka terrorism0, parallel the socio-political fears that existed in Britain in Roman times over two thousand years ago.