Battle of Watling Street

  • The Battle of Watling Street was a Historic stand made by the Legio XIV Gemina against an Army of 100,000 Britons led by Queen Boudicca.
  • The Battle took place during Boudicca's Revolt (60-61 CE) during the reign of the Emperor Nero.

Date and Location

The Adversaries

Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni:

  • The Iceni, a Tribe from Norfolk with their capital at Caistor St Edmund.
  • The Trinovantes, a Tribe from Essex and Suffolk with their capital at Colchester. They were considered by Julius Caesar to be one of the most powerful Tribes of Britannia.
    • versus:

Suetonius Paulinus, Governor of Britannia.

The Winner

The Commanders

  • Queen Boudicca of the Iceni

versus:

Strength of the Forces under Suetonius Paulinus

Strength of the Forces under Queen Boudicca

  • Total Warriors:
  • Cavalry: numbers unknown, if any.
    • Casualties and Losses: 80,000

Significance of this Battle

  • It represented the end of British resistance to Roman Occupation in Southern Britannia.
  • Surprisingly, the Brigantes of Northern Britannia did not join in Boudicca's Revolt. However, they did rebel nine years later in 69 CE and successfully resisted up until 80 CE.

The Reason for the Battle

  • In 60-61 CE King Prasutagus of the Iceni, one of the Roman Client Kingdoms in Britannia, died. In his Will, he left his Kingdom to be inherited by both the Roman Emperor Nero, and by his two daughters.
  • However, under Roman Law, royal inheritance could not pass to daughters, and as it was not acceptable to the Romans to share a Kingdom with women rulers, so by the same Law, Boudicca could not claim the succession either.
  • So, ignoring the Will, the Romans foreclosed their loans to the Iceni, and abruptly seized their lands and enslaved the royal family. Prasutugas’ wife, Queen Boudicca, was flogged and his daughters raped and tortured. Consequently, they planned a Revolt and waited for the right moment to execute a well organised Rebellion.
  • In 60-61 CE the Governor of Britannia, Suetonius Paulinus invaded and attacked the Druid Base in Anglesey. He caught the Druids by surprise, getting the Batavian Auxiliaries to swim across the Straits, without using boats, and achieved a victory after which he destroyed the Druid Groves.
  • Suetonius Paulinus now hurried back from Anglesey. Leaving his Legion, he took a small force and raced on down Watling Street to London to anticipate Queen Boudicca’s army from the east. But realising on arrival, that London could not be held, he advised its population to evacuate. He then returned up Watling Street to consolidate his Legions and await the impending Attack.
  • Queen Boudicca, having burnt Colchester, and massacred the Legio IX Hispana, then proceeded to London, where all those Romans and Britons who had not fled were tortured before being massacred, and the town was burnt to the ground. Queen Boudicca had now amassed a considerable Army of approximately 100,000 or more soldiers, and proceeded up Watling Street towards Paulinus and his small Army, razing St. Albans to the ground, as they progressed forward.
  • A total of 70-80,000 Romans and Britons are estimated to have been killed in the three cities of Colchester, London and St. Albans.
  • As a result, the Emperor Nero was apparently considering withdrawing from Britannia during Boudicca's Revolt.

Deployment of the Armies

  • Suetonius Paulinus situated himself with an open Plain in front of his army, and a narrow gorge with thick forests behind him. This protected his rear from ambush. He then massed his Legions in the centre, with the Auxiliaries on either side and the Cavalry on the wings.
  • Queen Boudicca then galvanised her Army with a rousing speech, making it clear this was their last chance to finally throw out the Roman oppressor, and end their slavery. The Wagon Train holding thousands of Families of the Iceni and Trinovantes, was lined up on the far side of the Plain, to watch the expected victory by their warriors.
  • Suetonius Paulinus also gave a rousing speech to his soldiers, suggesting that despite their greater numbers, the opposing army was half composed of untrained women. He then gave the following instructions: First, the Javelins were to be thrown, then the legionaries should advance in a tight mass staying together, and knock the enemy down using their shields, finally finishing them off on the ground with their swords.

How the Battle was Fought

  • Queen Boudicca led her Army forward in a massed frontal assault, expecting her superior numbers to overwhelm the Legionaries.
  • As they approached the Romans, they found themselves being funneled together, becoming more and more tightly packed.
  • As they came within range the Legionaries threw the first Javelin volley, and then a second. The javelins embedded themselves in the Britons’ shields, whilst the handles broke off.
  • This stopped the Britons’ advance. The Britons, still tightly packed together, could not remove the broken Javelins from their shields, which were now too heavy to hold, and had so had to drop them and fight without shields.

The Wedge Formation

  • Suetonius Paulinus then gave the Order to advance in a Wedge Formation. The tip of the wedge broke into the Enemy line, whilst the Enemy soldiers were caught in the dips created as the wedge moved forward. Once the Enemy line was broken, the Enemy soldiers could only fall back to defend themselves.
  • The Roman Legionaries pushed the Britons over with their wall of shields, and routed them, whilst from the Flanks, the cavalry attacked with lances. The Line broke, and the Britons were forced to fall back.
  • As the Baggage Train had encircled the Plain, the Britons could not escape, and the Romans not only massacred the warriors, but all the women and children as well. Tacitus records that 80,000 Britons died, whereas the Romans only lost 400.

The Aftermath

  • Queen Boudicca committed suicide, after which she was given a generous Funeral by the Romans. Later on, the territory of the Iceni was brutally possessed.
  • The Prefect of the Legio II Augusta, Poenius Posthumus, was obliged to commit suicide for his failure to join Paulinus.
  • It was the end of Rebellions against Roman Rule in Southern Britain.
  • However, in Northern Britain, the Brigantes, who had not taken part in Boudicca's Revolt, rebelled under King Venutius in 69 CE, and were not finally quelled until 80 CE by Agricola.
  • The Emperor Nero was now reassured by the success of the Battle of Watling Street.
  • Despite Suetonius Paulinus‘ military achievement in saving the day, Nero withdrew him to avoid further Rebellions. Instead, in 61 CE, he sent a new Governor, Publius Petronius Turpilianus, with instructions to be more conciliatory towards the Britons.

Sources

 

Watling Street

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