In 60 CE, the Battle of Watling Street was fought in England between the Romans under Suetonius Paulinus against the Iceni under Boudica during the Roman Conquest of Britain.
Why did it happen?
In 43 CE, the Roman Empire invaded Britain in response to Druid priests supporting anti-Roman uprisings in Gaul. In the aftermath of the invasion, Roman towns were constructed, and Roman merchants and adventurers quickly populated them. In 60 CE, the last Iceni king, Prasutagus, died and left his kingdom to his two daughters and widowed queen, Boudica, making them co-heirs with the Roman Emperor Nero. However, after Boudica was flogged and her daughters raped by Roman officials, the Iceni rose in revolt and allied themselves with the Trinovantes. Under Boudica’s leadership, the Roman towns of Colchester, London and St Albans were sacked by the Iceni army, killing an estimated 70,000 people. Meanwhile, the Roman governor, Suetonius Paulinus, who had been campaigning in Wales, gathered what forces he could and met Boudica’s army at Watling Street near present-day Towcester.
Who was involved?
The Roman army at Watling Street numbered 10,000 men: 7,000 legionaries, 2,000 auxiliaries and 1,000 cavalry. The legionaries were placed in the centre behind the Anker River, flanked on each side by the auxiliaries and cavalry with the forest to their rear. They also held high ground, which meant that when the Iceni attacked, they would have to charge uphill against the Romans. The Iceni army at Watling Street numbered 100,000 warriors and chariots. As stated by the Roman historian Tacitus, “They were in unprecedented numbers, and confidence ran so high that they brought even their wives to witness the victory and installed them in waggons [sic], which they had stationed just over the extreme fringe of the plain” (Tac. Ann. 14.34). Despite their superior numbers, however, the Iceni warriors were not as disciplined or well armoured as their Roman adversaries. Moreover, the terrain hindered their ability to take advantage of their numbers, forcing them to attack the Romans frontally.
What happened?
After a stirring speech, Boudica ordered her warriors to attack the Roman army head-on in a wedge formation. As the Iceni warriors advanced, they became pressed closer together by the sloping valley on their flanks. Under Suetonius Paulinus’ command, the Roman legionaries hurled their javelins at the Iceni army, killing thousands of warriors. The Roman legionaries and auxiliaries then moved forward to engage the Iceni in hand-to-hand combat. As the fighting moved out of the narrow valley entrance, the Roman cavalry attacked the flanks of the Iceni army until they broke and routed. As the Iceni warriors and chariots retreated, the ring of wagons belonging to their families impeded their escape, and the Iceni were slaughtered with casualties approaching 80,000. In contrast, the Romans lost only 400 men.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Watling Street was a decisive Roman victory. In the aftermath of the battle, Boudica committed suicide by poison while Suetonius Paulinus occupied the lands of the Iceni, building forts and establishing a strong Roman presence in the region. In 61 CE, a new Roman governor named Publius Petronius Turpilianus was sent by Nero to pacify the Celtic tribes. Under his governorship, the Iceni were given their own lands near Norwich in Norfolk with many Iceni adopting Roman culture and clothing. Turpilianus was so successful that Britain never experienced a native revolt against Roman rule again and the country remained a part of the Roman Empire until 410 CE.
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Rodgers, Nigel. The History and Conquests of Ancient Rome. London, Hermes House, 2007.
Tacitus. The Annals. Translated by J. Jackson. Cambridge, Loeb Classical Library, 1937.
Wilding, Valerie. Boudica and her Barmy Army. London, Scholastic, 2005.