Resistance to Roman rule Flashcards
What do the sources tend to focus on regarding the Britons?
individual leaders including Caratacus, Boudicca and Calgacus
“conquered without any loss”
fragment from Claudius’ arch, 51AD
‘even though Togodumnus had perished, the Britons, far from yielding, had united all the more firmly to avenge him’
Dio on the initial British resistance
First Iceni rebellion and reasons?
48AD, they knew there was a new commander, they had been disarmed (thus vulnerable to tribal warfare and resenting this).
Tacitus’ presentation of the first Iceni rebellion?
Roman organisation vs. British use of terrain and numbers
Tacitus on resistance from the Brigantes in 49AD?
Gives little detail but says that those who had taken up arms were killed whilst the rest of the tribe were settled. Scapula had postponed his first planned attack on the welsh tribes in order to deal with this first, hence we can see it was a fairly severe rebellion
‘unprotected as they were by breastplates or helmets’ - Tacitus
Tacitus on Caratacus’ men in Wales
Who betrayed Caratacus to the Romans?
Cartimandua - Queen of the Brigantes, after he had sought refuge there
Silures fighting tactics with Scapula and Gallus, after Caratacus left?
Mostly guerrilla style attacks, then retreating quickly
Which Governor defeated the Silures in 52AD?
Gallus
Gallus ‘merely held what his predecessors had won, establishing a few forts in more advanced positions so that he could claim the credit of having made some annexations’ - Tacitus
Tacitus on Gallus’ leadership, implying he is ineffective
- this passage can tell us that Gallus’ approach to the Silures was effective however since he gains control of South Wales and was probably responsible for the building of the Legionary Fortress at Usk
Who led the resistance of Brigantians in around 52-57 under Gallus? (according to Tacitus)
King Venutius, who had fallen out with Cartimandua. It seems that not the whole tribe agreed with Cartimandua’s pro-Roman feelings and it was Venutius who fought the Roman
Who resumed the Welsh campaign and when?
Suetonius Paulinus in 60AD
Which two cities were sacked by the Iceni tribe in 60AD? (Suetonius)
Colchester (the capital) and London (the financial hub), with St Albans also a target
What caused Paulinus to abandon the campaign in Wales?
The Iceni rebellion
Tacitus’ reason for Boudicca’s rebellion?
Mistreatment of the nobility (as opposed to a serious attempt to overthrow the Romans)
- Boudicca’s husband Prasutagus died leading to the Romans plundering the household and removing items belonging to the nobility. Boudicca was flogged and her daughter’s raped
Tacitus on why the Trinovantes quickly joined the rebellion of 60-61AD?
They had been mistreated by the veterans who occupied the colonia at Camulodunum
Why can we find Tacitus’ account of the 60AD rebellion fairly reliable?
Since Agricola had served on the staff of the governor in 60/61AD as Military Tribune and therefore would have been well aware of major events etc.
Dio’s account of the Iceni rebellion?
Doesn’t mention Prasutagus’ death or what happened to Boudicca but blames the rebellion on Nero and his immediate advisors (including Seneca) sending loans and gifts which were then recalled.
- this is a more likely reason for the tribes to have united than the harm done to one royal family, yet Tacitus’ account of events is probably more reliable than Dio
‘when the town was surrounded by a horde of natives it was as if they had been caught unawares in a time of peace’ - Tacitus
Tacitus blames the veterans at Colchester for not adequately preparing defences (60)
In how many days did Colchester fall in 60AD?
2 days
How large does Dio say Boudicca’s army was?
230,000
Tacitus casualties of the final battle of Boudicca’s rebellion?
400 Roman
80,000 British
Why was Suetonius Paulinus recalled from Britain?
The procurator sent to Rome, saying he was being too cruel to the defeated rebels (which he was - Tacitus says he laid waste to any tribe which had ‘wavered’ in allegiance_
When did new hostilities break out in Brigantia?
Around Vespasian’s accession, with Bolanus as governor
Why did hostilities break out in Brigantia 70AD?
Disagreement between Venutius and Cartimandua with her shunning Venutius. The people of Brigantia (according to Tacitus) rallied around Venutius and the Romans aided Cartimandua to flee. ‘the kingdom went to Venutius; we were left with a war to fight’
Why was Bolanus replaced in 71AD?
Because Cerialis had a more impressive military background prepared to fight the Brigantes
Where did Cerialis move the ninth legion?
York
After Cerialis gained control of Brigantia where did he target next?
the Silures again, this is hardly covered in the sources but seems to have been a comprehensive defeat
Tacitus casualties for the battle of Mons Graupius 83AD?
10,000 British
360 Romans
Dio vs. Tacitus Boudicca’s speech:
Dio: she focuses on the idea of freedom vs. oppression ‘you have learned how wrong you were to prefer a foreign tyranny to the way of life followed by your ancestors’
Tacitus: ‘they cannot keep their filthy hands from our bodies’ - focuses on behaviour of Romans against natives
Caratacus’ speech in Rome according to Tacitus:
‘I had horses, men, arms, wealth; is it surprising that I was unwilling to lose them?’
Calgacus’ speech before Mons Graupius according to Tacitus?
‘they create a desolation and call it peace’
- obviously the speech is an invention, and he includes Calgacus talking about tactics and terrain etc. in order to highlight what an incredible victory this was for Agricola
