When Roman troops threatened to seize the wealth of the Iceni people, their queen, Boudica, retaliated by inciting a major uprising, allying her tribe with the neighbouring Trinovantes. The ensuing clash is one of the most important - and dramatic - events in the history of Britain, standing testament to what can happen when an insensitive colonial power meets determined resistance from a subjugated people head-on.
In this fascinating account of a legendary figure, Miranda Aldhouse-Green raises questions about female power, colonial oppression, and whether Boudica would be seen today as a freedom fighter, terrorist or martyr.
1. Boudica's ancestors 2. Conquering a myth: Claudius and Britannia 3. Client kingship in the Roman empire: Prasutagus & Boudica 4. Other Boudicas: 'big women' in iron age Europe 5. Femmes Fatales: Boudica & Cartimandua 6. The role of the druids in Boudica's rebellion 7. Rape, rebellion & slaughter 8. Aftermath: Retribution & reconciliation 9. The Icenian wolf: Legend and legacy
Biography
Miranda Aldhouse-Green is Professor of Archaeology at Newport University. She has published fifteen books including Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend (1992), Celtic Goddesses (1995), Exploring the World of the Druids (1997, 2005) Dying for the Gods (2001) and An Archaeology of Images (Routledge, 2004).
"Equally at home with the classical Graeco-Roman world and that of the prehistoric European Iron Age, Professor Aldhouse-Green is well equipped to do justice to the fearsome warrior queen of the Britons who so nearly brought the story of Roman Britain to a premature end. This important study of Boudica not only makes full use of recent archaeological and classical scholarship, it also offers exciting new psychological insights into the first woman to make a significant impact on the history of Britain" - Dr Paul R. Sealey, Assistant Curator of Archaeology, Colchester Museums
"New insights and evidence, and the fresh and modern approach to the saga of the British warrior queen. This book is well worth reading." - Dorothy Watts, University of Queensland
