Boudicca & the Iceni Revolt

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Boudicca and The Iceni Revolt

Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni Tribe, organised an army of Celtic Tribes and led the revolt against the Romans.

Boudicca was the wife of King Prasutagus, the king of the Iceni tribe. Prasutagus died in 60 AD and by his will, the kingdom was left to his daughters and the roman emperor Nero as co-heirs in an attempt to keep his kingdom and family safe and out of harms way. As his daughter’s were too young to rule the kingdom of Iceni on there own, Boudicca assumed power and became queen. Prasutagus’s will was ignored by the roman emperor.

Most people say that Boudicca led the revolt because her daughter’s were raped while she was flogged, but this fact is only one of the reasons that led to the revolt.


The Romans took control of the whole kingdom and the family members of the late king were made slaves. The Iceni were reduced to provincial status and were taxed. The Icenians had no say in what happened to their land and had no recognition or rights.

According to Tacitus the Iceni revolt was caused by the conscription, the taxes and the many of the other burdens imposed on them by the empire. Tacitus also claims that the revolt was caused by the Britons talking among themselves and compared their wrongs which were slaves, violence and assault which lead to the overly exaggerated discussions, which angered the Iceni as well as embarrassed them at the fact that they could be so easily taken over by the roman empire without a fight or even war. Agricola 13,14-16.

The kingdom of the Iceni had been basically unofficially conquered by Nero and when the queen of the Iceni, Boudicca, tried standing up to the Romans and demand her kingdom back, she was flogged while watching her daughters’ get raped by the roman soldiers as a demonstration that the Romans could do what ever they pleased and to take away all pride from the queen to show that she had no...
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