History Profile: Bouddica
I’m not sure when I first heard about Boudicca (also spelled Boadicea). Maybe it was a Xena episode. Maybe it was from a Marion Zimmer Bradley series. But I’ve been fascinated by her ever since.
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot known about her. Fortunately for better writers than I, that means there’s some dramatic license as they tell her story. Manda Scott has written my favourite series about Boudicca (The Boudica series). I’ve been so inspired to write some plays that have her as a character, Strength in Pain, and then Reign of Power.
Boudicca was a member of the Iceni tribe of Eastern Britain. The Iceni king was Prasutagus, and his queen was Boudicca. While Claudius was Emperor, the Iceni allied with Rome, though Prasutagus was by and large still the leader. When Prasutagus died, things changed.
The Romans took their opportunity and marched to take over the land fully. Boudicca revolted, and she revolted hard. London (or Londinium as it was called then) burned during her revolt of AD 60–61. Sadly (depending on who you were rooting for), the revolt was quelled, and Iceni was taken over by Roman influence.
As the Romans were writing (and creating) history, not much is known of their vanquished. Especially a woman who took so long to be vanquished!
