09-26-2021, 03:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2022, 11:21 AM by Nathan Ross.)
(09-26-2021, 01:43 PM)Theoderic Wrote: could you point me to the timeline to support this scenario.
Here's what I currently consider likely.
(I have the rebels moving very slowly here, which I think probable - they were not a trained army, had no established chain of command, march discipline or logistics network and were travelling with ox carts, plundering and living off the land, with groups splitting off here and there to roam more widely.
My only uncertainy with this at the moment lies in the closing stages - Tacitus is a bit vague about the comings and goings of Classicianus and Polyclitus, and their messages to Rome; it's quite likely that Polyclitus turned up in spring AD62, and Turpilianus wasn't nominated as replacement governor until the summer of that year; proconsular governors seem normally to have taken command in the summer following their consulate, so this would be a last-minute substitution.
But I've put everything into the same year just to show that it is possible to do so, allowing for some rapid decision-making!)
[edit - I've slightly revised this, as trying to tie Paulinus's march to the few and scattered Roman locations along his route was proving too difficult! Instead I've just divided the c.198 miles from the Menai Strait to Godmanchester into 11 stages (18 miles a day). I've gone with Michael's suggestion above and had Catus's messenger moving more speedily too, although still three days up to join Paulinus.]
AD61
c.June – Prasutagus, King of the Iceni, dies. His will divides the Iceni kingdom between Rome and his own two unmarried daughters. His widow Boudica becomes regent.
c. June/July – Paulinus advances from Wroxeter into North Wales, heading for Anglesey, building roads and bridges and subduing resistence as he marches.
c.July/August – After questioning the terms of Prasutagus's will, Procurator Decianus Catus sends men to flog Boudica and rape her daughters. Boudica begins to muster her forces over the harvest period. Paulinus builds landing barges in his camp on the Menai Strait.
August 25th – End of harvest. Boudica holds tribal assembly and calls for revolt. Paulinus begins his amphibious operation against Anglesey, crossing the Menai Strait using barges and attacking defenders on the shore.
August 26th – Iceni begin mobilisation. Paulinus expands his landing area on Anglesey and pushes inland.
August 27th – Attacks on outlying Romanised settlements and villas begin. News of Iceni mobilisation reaches Colchester. Request for military assistance sent to Catus. Conquest of Anglesey continues.
August 28th – Romans engaged in subduing remaining resistence on the island of Anglesey. Iceni sending messages to outlying settlements and to the Trinovantes, requesting alliance.
August 29th – Roman troops burning Druid groves on Anglesey. Catus gets request for aid from Colchester. He forwards message on to Paulinus by express courier. Iceni begin mustering at Thetford.
August 30th – Paulinus completes his conquest of Anglesey and begins establishing and garrisoning forts around the Menai Strait and North Wales. Catus sends 200 men from his bodyguard and office staff to reinforce Colchester.
August 31st – Iceni, having completed muster, move from Thetford to Bury St Edmunds.
September 1st – Catus’ message requesting military support against the Iceni reaches Paulinus at his camp beside the Menai Strait. Catus’s 200 men reach Colchester.
September 2nd – Paulinus musters an expeditionary force.
September 3rd – Paulinus, with c.7000 men (14th Legion, plus 4 auxiliary units) begins a march of c.198 miles to Godmanchester: Paulinus march day 1. He sends messengers to Cerialis to meet him at Godmanchester for operations against the Iceni. Iceni move south to Sudbury, attacking Romanised settlements.
September 4th – Iceni and Trinovantes gathering at Sudbury. Paulinus march day 2.
September 5th – Iceni and Trinovantes agree alliance at Sudbury. Paulinus march day 3.
September 6th – Paulinus march day 4. Iceni and Trinovantes move south to West Bergholt, attacking Roman farms and villas. Cerialis, legate of the Ninth Legion at Longthorpe, receives the order to advance to Godmanchester and await Paulinus there.
September 7th – Paulinus march day 5. Iceni and Trinovantes moving towards Colchester. Cerialis, with detachment of the 9th Legion, plus auxiliary units, marches from Longthorpe.
September 8th – Paulinus march day 6. Iceni and Trinovantes surround Colchester. Cerialis arrives at Godmanchester and sends out scouts to determine enemy movements.
September 9th – Paulinus march day 7. Iceni and Trinovantes attack Colchester. Civilians barricade themselves inside the temple. Cerealis holds position at Godmanchester.
September 10th – Paulinus march day 8. Iceni and Trinovantes besiege temple at Colchester. Cerialis orders an advance by rapid marches to relieve Colchester.
September 11th – Paulinus march day 9. Last defenders of the Colchester temple die by fire. Cerialis marching towards Colchester.
September 12th – Paulinus march day 10. Iceni and Trinovantes muster to oppose Cerealis’s approaching relief force. Cerialis’s force is destroyed a few miles outside Colchester. Cerealis falls back to his last marching camp and defends himself there.
September 13th – Paulinus march day 11. He reaches Godmanchester and meets survivors of Cerialis’ force fleeing north. News of defeat reaches London. Catus flees for Gaul by ship. Iceni and Trinovantes plundering Colchester and celebrating their victories.
September 14th – Paulinus marches south from Godmanchester towards London (c.56 miles away). Catus arrives in Gaul and sends a message to Rome, reporting the imminent loss of the province. Iceni and Trinovantes begin to muster outside Colchester and advance south-west towards London.
September 15th – Iceni and Trinovantes advance towards London, plundering area between Braintree and Maldon. Paulinus marching south ‘though a hostile population’.
September 16th – Iceni and Trinovantes plundering area of Chelmsford. Paulinus arrives in London that evening.
September 17th – Paulinus in London. Iceni and Trinovantes plundering in the area of Romford.
September 18th – Paulinus, deciding that London cannot be held, orders the inhabitants to evacuate the city. He sends messages to the 2nd Legion detachment at Exeter to march via the Fosseway and Akeman Street, and to the 20th Legion veterans at Usk, the 14th legion veterans at Wroxeter, and his remaining troops in North Wales – collective rendezvous at St Albans – and to Rome requesting reinforcements.
September 19th – Paulinus prepares his troops and gathers supplies at London.
September 20th – Paulinus retreats from London towards St Albans with refugees and supplies. Order to march reaches 20th Legion at Usk.
September 21st – Boudica, learning of Paulinus’s retreat, enters London and her army commences plundering. Paulinus reaches St Albans, delaying there for 10 days while awaiting reinforcements. Order to march reaches 2nd Legion (under Poenius Postumus) at Exeter and 14th veterans at Wroxeter. 20th Legion veterans and auxiliaries set off from Usk.
September 22nd – Paulinus still at St Albans, sending out scouts and detachments to watch the enemy and attack wider-ranging rebel bands. Iceni plundering and burning London. 20th Legion veterans, from Usk, on the road towards Gloucester. 14th veterans set off from Wroxeter. 2nd Legion detachment under Postumus at Exeter refuse to move (if they did, they could reach St Albans in 10-12 days)
September 23rd – Rebel plunderers spread west as far as Brentford and Putney. Paulinus remains at St Albans. 20th Legion veterans arrive at Gloucester, collecting any troops remaining there and at Kingsholm. Order to march reaches legions in North Wales.
September 24th – 20th Legion veterans at Cirencester, collecting more auxiliaries there. Legions begin march from North Wales to join Paulinus at St Albans; they would arrive in c.13-15 days.
September 25th – Rebels plundering as far as Staines, and across the Thames to Southwark. Paulinus holds position at St Albans.
September 26th – Rebels still plundering vicinity of London, west and south. Paulinus remains at St Albans, waiting for news of reinforcements. Catus’s initial message of disaster arrives at Rome.
September 27th – 20th Legion veterans reach Alchester, collecting further auxiliaries there. Rebel plundering bands potentially reach as far west as Silchester.
September 28th – Paulinus holding position at St Albans. 20th Legion veterans from Usk and auxiliaries from Usk, Gloucester or Kingsholm, Cirencester and Alchester reach Tring.
September 29th – 20th Legion veterans and auxiliaries join Paulinus at St Albans. Boudica recalls scattered plundering bands to London.
September 30th – Paulinus continues holding position at St Albans. 14th legion veterans arrive from Wroxeter. Boudica musters her full army north of London. Paulinus’s request for reinforcement reaches Rhine army, and Rome by express courier.
October 1st – Boudica’s army begins advance north from London on Watling Street. Paulinus pulls back along Akeman Street to Tring, hoping in vain to meet the advancing 2nd Legion detachment there. Polyclitus, ordered to investigate the situation in Britain, sets out from Rome with a huge retinue. Crop planting season begins around now, interrupted due to war.
October 2nd – (2nd Legion should have reached St Albans by now) Paulinus camps at Tring and prepares his position at Newground. He discovers that the 2nd Legion have not left Exeter. Rebels sack and burn St Albans.
October 3rd – Iceni advance up the Bulborne to Cow Roast. Classicianus ordered to Britain from Gaul as replacement procurator.
October 4th – Battle is joined. Roman victory. Boudica defeated.
October 5th – Paulinus rests his troops after the battle. Roman authorisation for troop transfer reaches Rhine garrisons. Troops start marching from Rhine garrisons.
October 6th – Paulinus enters the ruins of St Albans.
October 7th – Advance units from North Wales arrive at St Albans. Paulinus marches south and enters the ruins of London.
October 8th – Paulinus establishes camp outside London and sends a victory message to Rome.
October 9th – Paulinus consolidates army outside London. “The whole army was then brought together and kept under canvas to finish the remainder of the war.”
October – Roman troops spread out across Iceni land burning crops and villages. Boudica takes poison and dies.
October 18th – Classicianus reaches Britain as replacement Procurator.
October 25th – troops from Rhine garrisons reach the Channel ports and commence a late crossing to Britain.
October 27th – Polyclitus reaches Britain.
October 30th – Paulinus sends his main army into winter quarters. Detachments continue devastating rebel lands: “whatever tribes still wavered or were hostile were ravaged with fire and sword.”
November 1st – Classicianus sends report to Rome complaining of Paulinus’s actions: “no cessation of fighting must be expected, unless Suetonius were superseded.”
November 4th – Polyclitus sends more favourable report to Rome, then departs Britain.
November 10th – Several ships wrecked in a storm while supporting land troops in counter-insurgency operations. Classicianus sends report of the losses, and the ongoing severity of Paulinus's actions, to Rome.
November 11th – the seas close for winter.
December 2nd – Turpilianus (ordinary consul of that year) nominated to replace Paulinus as governor of Britain.
Spring/summer AD62: Turpilianus arrives in Britain and replaces Paulinus.
Nathan Ross
