Boudicca is a significant figure in the history of Britain as she was the queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the Romans occupying land in 60 AD. The Iceni tribe, who valued their independence, became Boudicca’s followers in her rebellion to avenge her husband Prasutagus. She started a revolt after Rome began to invade the Iceni and in response, she raided Roman cities and tortured citizens by hanging, crucifixion or disembowelment. These events are considered to be significant due to Boudicca being a female as it was unusual for women to hold power during this time. Boudicca is portrayed as a hero, not only becoming a symbol of nationalism but also feminism when her image was reinvented by the Victorians. Her …show more content…
legacy inspired women and has been preserved as Britain’s first patriot. The main sources of information that dictates the chronological order of early Roman Britain came from the writings of important historians Tacitus and Cassius Dio. Due to this, the information known of Boudicca can be unreliable to an extent as well as being biased as they were written decades after her death. Boudicca’s significance on British history can be determined by her actions as a leader and her influence on her people.
The interpretations of Boudicca’s final speech made by historian Cassius Dio and Tacitus state that she would rather “fall fighting bravely than be captured and impaled.” suggesting that Boudicca was powerful and heroic as she refused to live under Roman rule as a slave. As women were seen as insignificant and powerless during this time, Boudicca’s leadership skills were able to influence her people to follow her in her revolt. She targeted Camulodunum, one of the largest settlements in Britain, Londinium and Verulamium where citizens were attacked, tortured and murdered. Boudicca killed up to 70,000 people within the three cities. Additionally, Boudicca had made a significant impact on British history as the revolt itself was led by a female. Cassius Dio consistently emphasises that Boudicca “possessed greater intelligence than often belongs to women” which contributes to her importance in the history of …show more content…
Britain. The Battle of Watling Street was where Boudicca and the Iceni tribe met their demise.
As one of the “bloodiest battles” in ancient British history, its outcome showcased Boudicca’s military tactics and gave insight into how she lost the battle. By the end of the fight, as many as 7000 people were massacred with Boudicca’s fate unknown. While Cassius Dio reported that she fell sick and died, Tacitus stated that she “ended her days by poison.” Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was the Roman General who defeated Boudicca through discipline and effective battle strategies. However, during the battle, Boudicca’s misjudgement of placement decisions left her army defenseless which was the main factor that led to her downfall. She was not a military tactician but an inspiring leader who displayed courage and passion in her fight for freedom. Britain acknowledges her actions as a representation of Britain’s “love of
freedom.” It is often discussed whether or not Boudicca’s reputation can be defined as heroic and significant or heartless and barbaric. Her name was reinvented by the Victorians in the 19th century as ‘Boadicea’, the hero of the British Empire where she became the symbol of nationalism. On one hand, Boudicca is known as one of the most respected and powerful woman in history. Although she was unable to defeat the Romans, she was able to show that women can be determined, strong and courageous leaders. She is also regarded as a British icon, a symbol of feminism and inspiration due to her passionate attempts in freeing herself from Roman oppression. Additionally, there has been countless adaptations of Boudicca in modern medias such as movie Boudicca (2003) and has been featured in both fiction and non-fiction books. Boudicca’s legacy was considered influential and significant during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I who used Boudicca as an example in order to prove that British queens were extremely powerful. Her significant impact is showcased in her statue located in London which represents her legacy and power. On the other hand, Boudicca is also represented as a ruthless, barbaric leader. Some believe that her main goal was to eliminate all Romans from her land as well as all of Britain which paints Boudicca as a ‘xenophobe.’ Although her actions are considered to be heroic to some, her violent attacks on three populated cities killed thousands of innocent lives. According to Cassius Dio, the citizens of Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium were subjected to ‘unimaginable’ violence: “They hung up naked the noblest and most distinguished women and then cut off their breasts and sewed them to their mouths, in order to make the victims appear to be eating them; afterwards they impaled the women on sharp skewers run lengthwise through the entire body.” This emphasises that Boudicca and her followers were violent, murderous barbarians.
...an occupation of Briton that the Romans were tested and nearly broke. She stood up and showed the Romans how all Celtic people felt about their Roman rulers. Although some of the actions displayed by Boudicca and her horde may have seemed brutal, even barbaric to some, this was reflection of the time she lived in. Boudicca’s revolt was an act of revenge and the lack of respect shown to the Celtic people, in particular Boudicca and her family, by the Romans was reflected the way the Celtic people reacted. If Boudicca had of succeeded in defeating Suetonius in this last battle, the Romans would have retreated and the history of Britain would have been extremely different. Boudicca was not only a national hero but hero to all women as she led a revolt that challenged the foreign Roman rule, in a time when women were viewed by most as weak and inferior to men.
Was Boudica a scorned woman or did she have a justified reason for retaliation? The book Real Lives Boudica the story of the Fearless Icini Queen, by Gaby Halberstam published by A&C Black in London, gives a story told by Boudica herself. The book is written in the first person about the events that unfolded in Boudica’s life. This book captures Boudica and gives the reader an idea of what her personality would have been. Halberstam was able to give details through research and filling in the blanks. There are many famous men and women form our history that we would like to have a personal conversation with and this book is almost like sitting across from Boudica, listening to her tell her story.
Boudica, having been treated and indeed flogged as a slave, decided to rebel. She joined forces with the Trinovantes, who had their own reasons to hate the Romans. Some of their land had been taken from them to form part of Camulodunum (now Colchester). One of buildings in it was the Temple Of Claudius, it was hated by the oppressed masses and became the first target of Boudica’s attack. The colonists appealed for help and troops were sent from Londinium, but these amounted to just 200 and were ill equipped for the task. The veterans and the troops took cover in the Temple but were soundly beaten after two days, the temple was destroyed and the town sacked. Petillius Cerialis, camped with Legio IX eight miles away at Longthorpe heard of the revolt and set off for the town, but he was ambushed and at length defeated. Boudica heartened by this success now marched on Londinium.
Due to biased Roman sources, the way in which modern society views both Cleopatra and Boudicca is far removed from the entire truth. Cleopatra is portrayed today as a physically beautiful harlot and the fact that her story is impossibly intertwined with both Julius Caesar’s and Marc Antony’s provide a source for gossip. She is also misrepresented through various plays and films including William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of Cleopatra in Cleopatra (INCLUDE A PIC ON MY POWERPOINT!!! ALSO DESCRIBE THIS). Many of the false claims surrounding Cleopatra stem from Octavian’s propaganda during his civil war with Marc Antony. Octavian’s campaign of slander was successful as by the end of the civil war, the Roman’s viewed “Cleopatra as a woman whose beauty clouded men’s minds” (Roberts, R 1999:82).
The third and final act Brutus commited that left him with a dishonorable image, was that he ran and then killed himself just to avoid battle. In early Rome a man was thought to be noble and brave if he fell from an enemy’s sword, not if he ran and commited suicide. Any noble man would have found another way.
Each ruler of Rome seemed to have made poor decisions, and this is exactly what occurred with Brutus. Brutus became very naïve. All of the conspirators confronted Brutus with the idea of killing Mark Antony. They believed he would continue Caesar’s legacy but Brutus thought differently. Brutus added, “And for Mark Antony, think not of him, for he can do no more than Caesar’s arm” (Shakespeare, 24). He proposed that Antony was too weak for them to worry about while this was actually what brought about his fall. When the murder of Caesar had concluded, Antony wished to speak in honor of Caesar. Brutus agreed with the idea but Cassius was hesitant. Cassius insulted, “You know not what you do. Do not consent that Antony speak in his funeral. Know you how much the people may be moved by that which he will utter” (Shakespeare, 44). Cassius feared that Antony’s persuasive speech would turn the citizens against the conspirators. Brutus continued to ignore Cassius’s warning, but was proven wrong immediately. The locals were influenced by Antony and led an angered march to end the conspirators. Brutus caused their arrangement to fail by lack of
In Euripides’ play The Bacchae, the ideals that were the foundation of Greek culture were called into question. Until early 400B.C.E. Athens was a society founded upon rational thinking, individuals acting for the good of the populace, and the “ideal” society. This is what scholars commonly refer to as the Hellenic age of Greek culture. As Athens is besieged by Sparta, however, the citizens find themselves questioning the ideals that they had previously lived their lives by. Euripides’ play The Bacchae shows the underlying shift in ideology of the Greek people from Hellenic (or classical), to Hellenistic; the god character Dionysus will be the example that points to the shifting Greek ideology.
Driving her to suicide was a very selfish act on Brutus’ part. He should have been there for his wife. Brutus did not think about his actions before they were done. He didn't think about what would happen to the Roman empire if Caesar were killed. By assassinating Caesar, he started a civil war.
In “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop, the narrator attempts to understand the relationship between humans and nature and finds herself concluding that they are intertwined due to humans’ underlying need to take away from nature, whether through the act of poetic imagination or through the exploitation and contamination of nature. Bishop’s view of nature changes from one where it is an unknown, mysterious, and fearful presence that is antagonistic, to one that characterizes nature as being resilient when faced against harm and often victimized by people. Mary Oliver’s poem also titled “The Fish” offers a response to Bishop’s idea that people are harming nature, by providing another reason as to why people are harming nature, which is due to how people are unable to view nature as something that exists and goes beyond the purpose of serving human needs and offers a different interpretation of the relationship between man and nature. Oliver believes that nature serves as subsidence for humans, both physically and spiritually. Unlike Bishop who finds peace through understanding her role in nature’s plight and acceptance at the merging between the natural and human worlds, Oliver finds that through the literal act of consuming nature can she obtain a form of empowerment that allows her to become one with nature.
This is just how Brutus plays by the rules, is honest and wins a respectful burial, even though he loses the battle. Brutus was an honorable and noble man with great character. Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, shows readers what it means to be noble using government, politics and Brutuss experience and constant effort to bring democracy to Rome. He reveals what makes Brutus noble from the rest of the Romans and how taking challenges, risks and being strong, honorable, and able to face sorrows and having moral character is what makes someone noble. Brutus faced many challenges and risks to make Rome a democracy and through it he faced his sorrows like a god and held a good reputation in society.
Brutus was a loving friend of Julius Caesar and wished anything but death on his comrade, but his love and dedication to the majestic city of Rome would force him to commit anything. He fights a war to defend Rome from a king or emperor's tyrannical rule. When the war was over, even his enemies saw that he was the most respectable Roman of them all. This (Brutus' body) was the noblest Roman of them all. All conspirators, save only he did what they did in envy of great Caesar....
middle of paper ... ... Ultimately Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times, his opponents wanted him dead, and in fact stabbed many of their co-conspirators in the fight. They were not honorable at all in killing him. Ultimately, the Roman Republic’s downfall lay in its lack of major wars or other crises, which led to a void of honor and leadership. War united all of Rome’s people, and provided the challenge to its leaders to develop honor and leadership through their causes and actions.
...ured by Antony’s troops. When Cassius heard that, he asked to be stabbed. From there only more bad news came about. Then Brutus went around asking all of his friends to stab him. Many refused, but one finally agreed to hold the sword out. The worst part about Brutus’ death is that he did al that he did, for the good of Rome. He was even considered to be the noblest Roman of them all!
She places Queen Elizabeth above men: “from all the kings on earth she won the prize” (210). Queen Elizabeth went against her roles as a woman, remaining an unmarried woman ruler of England for many years. She had done something that was not seen before, something that Bradstreet greatly respected. Queen Elizabeth proved that women could be great rulers and do so on their own: “She hath wiped off th’ aspersion of her sex/that women wisdom lack to play the rex” (210). Bradstreet mentions how Queen Elizabeth did a greater job than any other king they had: “Was ever people better ruled than hers? ... Did ever wealth in England more abound” (210). She compares her to Minerva, a Roman Goddess of war, wisdom, and justice. Bradstreet’s great admiration of a woman going beyond her role goes against the Puritan belief that women were not as respectable or high up as men. If men did not have the control that they did, women would begin to question their reality, which is what the men did not want to happen. Bradstreet expresses her frustration with this through her praise towards Queen Elizabeth, feeling that women could in fact do things that men could