Throughout your time in Latin, we have read, watched, and learned much about Roman History -- the rise of the Republic, the social struggles that brought it down, the rise of the Empire and its collapsed. All the while, we have really only been looking at this huge chunk of history through the lens of the Romans. That bias carries through in our terminology today, as the enemies of Rome were often referred to as "barbarians." But who were these people? Were they really savages on the fringes of the great civilization of Ancient Rome? Not at all! These people had rich cultures of their own and just happened to be on the losing side of Rome's rise.
In this chapter, we are going to look at the life of Boudicca, the warrior-queen of the Iceni tribe of Britain who led a revolt against Roman occupation of her homeland in 60 CE. Her story is a famous tale of heroism and a fight for independence. Apart from that, she is one of the few women to be mentioned in the same arena as men from this time period! As you read, I want you to think about these questions: Why do we rarely look at Roman history through the lens of the people the Romans conquered? Why are they often portrayed as "uncivilized?" What racial connotations does that carry? What gender stereotypes does that create? How does it impact our view of Western European culture and history today? |
"Boadicea and Her Daughters" by Thomas Thornycroft
A rough location of the Iceni Tribe's territory in eastern England (Wikipedia)
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World History Encyclopedia Article
To start, click here to open the World History Encyclopedia article on Boudicca. Take notes as you read!
Boudicca Documentary (Kings and Generals)
"Barbarians Rising" (History Channel Series)
Next we will watch the History Channel series, "Barbarians Rising," to get a sense of Boudicca, her life and accomplishments, and how she fits into the narrative of resistance against Rome's rule. The section on Boudicca goes from 15:52-59:57.