Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Renatus]

Iam is one of those words that has a multiplicity of extended meanings. One of these is, indeed, 'by this time' but this is in the sense of 'already' which, in the context of this discussion, does not help us very much. However, I take it, along with proximis, as referring to the moment that Paulinus decided to give battle, not an earlier time when he was in London. As to the possible use of Paulinus' memoirs, we have to remember that Tacitus' most immediate source of information was probably his father-in-law Agricola, who had been on Paulinus' staff and was, therefore, close to his general's thinking.