Resistance to Roman rule

Question 1

What do the sources tend to focus on regarding the Britons?

Answer 1

individual leaders including Caratacus, Boudicca and Calgacus

Question 2

“conquered without any loss”

Answer 2

fragment from Claudius’ arch, 51AD

Question 3

‘even though Togodumnus had perished, the Britons, far from yielding, had united all the more firmly to avenge him’

Answer 3

Dio on the initial British resistance

Question 4

First Iceni rebellion and reasons?

Answer 4

48AD, they knew there was a new commander, they had been disarmed (thus vulnerable to tribal warfare and resenting this).

Question 5

Tacitus’ presentation of the first Iceni rebellion?

Answer 5

Roman organisation vs. British use of terrain and numbers

Question 6

Tacitus on resistance from the Brigantes in 49AD?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

‘unprotected as they were by breastplates or helmets’ - Tacitus

Answer 7

Tacitus on Caratacus’ men in Wales

Question 8

Who betrayed Caratacus to the Romans?

Answer 8

Cartimandua - Queen of the Brigantes, after he had sought refuge there

Question 9

Silures fighting tactics with Scapula and Gallus, after Caratacus left?

Answer 9

Mostly guerrilla style attacks, then retreating quickly

Question 10

Which Governor defeated the Silures in 52AD?

Answer 10

Gallus

Question 11

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

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Who led the resistance of Brigantians in around 52-57 under Gallus? (according to Tacitus)

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Who resumed the Welsh campaign and when?

Answer 13

Suetonius Paulinus in 60AD

Question 14

Which two cities were sacked by the Iceni tribe in 60AD? (Suetonius)

Answer 14

Colchester (the capital) and London (the financial hub), with St Albans also a target

Question 15

What caused Paulinus to abandon the campaign in Wales?

Answer 15

The Iceni rebellion

Question 16

Tacitus’ reason for Boudicca’s rebellion?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Tacitus on why the Trinovantes quickly joined the rebellion of 60-61AD?

Answer 17

They had been mistreated by the veterans who occupied the colonia at Camulodunum

Question 18

Why can we find Tacitus’ account of the 60AD rebellion fairly reliable?

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

Dio’s account of the Iceni rebellion?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

‘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

Answer 20

Tacitus blames the veterans at Colchester for not adequately preparing defences (60)

Question 21

In how many days did Colchester fall in 60AD?

Answer 21

2 days

Question 22

How large does Dio say Boudicca’s army was?

Answer 22

230,000

Question 23

Tacitus casualties of the final battle of Boudicca’s rebellion?

Answer 23

400 Roman
80,000 British

Question 24

Why was Suetonius Paulinus recalled from Britain?

Answer 24

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_

Question 25

When did new hostilities break out in Brigantia?

Answer 25

Around Vespasian’s accession, with Bolanus as governor

Question 26

Why did hostilities break out in Brigantia 70AD?

Answer 26

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’

Question 27

Why was Bolanus replaced in 71AD?

Answer 27

Because Cerialis had a more impressive military background prepared to fight the Brigantes

Question 28

Where did Cerialis move the ninth legion?

Answer 28

York

Question 29

After Cerialis gained control of Brigantia where did he target next?

Answer 29

the Silures again, this is hardly covered in the sources but seems to have been a comprehensive defeat

Question 30

Tacitus casualties for the battle of Mons Graupius 83AD?

Answer 30

10,000 British
360 Romans

Question 31

Dio vs. Tacitus Boudicca’s speech:

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Caratacus’ speech in Rome according to Tacitus:

Answer 32

‘I had horses, men, arms, wealth; is it surprising that I was unwilling to lose them?’

Question 33

Calgacus’ speech before Mons Graupius according to Tacitus?

Answer 33

‘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