|
 |
In A.D. 61 the Romans faced their most serious problem yet - the Celts were rebelling. This happened when Prasutagus, the king of the Iceni died.
Prasutagus had always been friendly to the Romans but his wife, Boudicca, did not agree with him. The Romans were demanding to be paid taxes and they wanted her to give up her throne. Boudicca decided to fight back!
Soon other tribes joined the Iceni army and they marched to Colchester - this was the capital of Roman Britain. Boudicca and her army then attacked the town. They even burnt down a temple where elderly soldiers and families had been taking shelter.
Next Boudicca led her army to London. Here, they burned down the city and killed hundreds of the people living there.
|
 |
 
Part of the army was at Exeter. The Roman general there was too frightened to move when he heard about the rebellion. The rest of the army was with the Roman Governor, who was trying to conquer north Wales. It took a long time for him to march back to the south of Britain and to fight Boudicca.
Boudicca may have had ten times more soldiers than the Romans did, but the Romans were well trained. Eventually, the Britons were defeated. Rather than be captured Boudicca drank poison and died.
.
|
| 
After Boudicca's rebellion Britain was mostly peaceful under Roman rule. People enjoyed living in Roman-style towns with baths and shops and they spoke in Latin (the Roman language) and wore Roman fashions. The Roman writer Tacitus was concerned though. He thought all these luxuries were making the people of Britain weak.
|
|
 |
 |
The Emperor Claudius brought elephants to Britain to help with his fight against the Iceni.
|  |
 |
|
A Modern myth says that Boudicca's body is buried under platform 9 at King's Cross Railway Station in London.
| 
|
|
|
