tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10659275.post111815065493386910..comments2023-11-04T01:41:23.277+00:00Comments on Memorabilia Antonina: Boudicca againTony Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125792825206480340noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10659275.post-52619020115579369742012-01-18T18:54:25.680+00:002012-01-18T18:54:25.680+00:00Well, exactly, 'theorised'. There's p...Well, exactly, 'theorised'. There's precious little in the way of actual evidence. It seems to me that this theory arises from the <i>a priori</i> assumption that the revolt must have been Britain-wide, therefore we need to theorise who the further allies must have been.<br /><br />I would argue that we shouldn't believe this just because we'd like it to be true, and that this assumption rests on nothing more than geographical imprecision and exaggeration by Roman historians. <br /><br />I can quite believe that the officer in charge of the II Legion was worried that locals would take advantage of the bulk of his forces being diverted to face Boudicca, and it is entirely possible that they would have, in the same way that Boudicca took advantage of the presence of the bulk of the Roman garrison in North Wales. But that doesn't mean that she planned or encouraged this or, had any connection with them.<br /><br />If the Catuvellauni were Boudicca's allies, then it was a bit impolite of her to burn down their city. I would argue that the destruction of Verulamium demonstrates that the Catuvellauni were certainly not Boudicca's allies.<br /><br />Behind all this is an implicit assumption that the sharing of some cultural connections between the different tribes on the island of Britannia brings with it some sort of political affiliation and mutual loyalty. I don't agree with that assumption - I think Britain is more likely to have been like former Yugoslavia, where loyalties to the superstate were extremely thin, and broke down in violence quickly. Mutual hostility between the Trinovantes and the Catuvellauni (the latter had, after all, overrun the former less than a century before) was probably stronger than any feeling that they should band together against the Romans.Tony Keenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07125792825206480340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10659275.post-91098945927514109952011-12-07T22:31:32.511+00:002011-12-07T22:31:32.511+00:00"The only inhabitants of the British Isles sh..."The only inhabitants of the British Isles she cared about were her own tribe and her allies the Trinovantes."<br /><br />Well, it is also theorised that there were other Brythonic 'Celtic' allies such as the Catevellauni and possibly anti-Roman factions of the Coritani, as well as sporadic revolts in other pockets of 'Britain' springing up at that time?<br />This may explain why the sub-commander of the IInd Legion at Exeter (his senior Legion commander was absent for some reason) refused to march northwards to aid Paulinus against Boudica?Johnny Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06514279742965781329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10659275.post-54134888122548392412010-02-01T07:49:04.172+00:002010-02-01T07:49:04.172+00:00I think we don't know. It's generally ass...I think we don't know. It's generally assumed he used Tacitus, but that's clearly not the only source he knew. He says himself that he spent years collecting many sources before writing his <i>History</i>, and it's clear that he had a transformative effect on them when he wrote. John Rich, in the <i>OCD</i> says its generqally futile to identify the sources behind his work.Tony Keenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07125792825206480340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10659275.post-10007476740518047802010-02-01T05:04:01.456+00:002010-02-01T05:04:01.456+00:00Interesting. Thanks for posting this. What sources...Interesting. Thanks for posting this. What sources would Cassius Dio have used?Deborah Hammnoreply@blogger.com