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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
Well thank you for the dubious honour of kicking off the debate regarding Cunetio.

Of course as everyone knows it is all down to interpretation of the texts and of course we are all guilty of interpreting the texts to fit our pet theories – which I suppose is why this subject will always continue to be contentious.

I believe that Tacitus was probably accurate (warts and all) and although there might be some exaggerations on the people front it is probably wise to accept what he says even though they might seem incorrect – after all he was writing 40 years after the events and we are 2000 years removed.

I do believe that the texts can support the Cunetio location but with new interpretations.

We need to know if Cunetio can hold up as a site.

I have to give credit where it is due and it was Steve’s earlier paper regarding the topography that brought the name of Axford in the Kennet Valley to the fore and it was whilst I was investigating that site that Cunetio, literally 2 miles further up the valley came to the fore.

Cunetio is the crossroads of Roman roads between London and Bath and Portchester and Cirencester / Gloucester and has a Station (small fort) situated at the top of the hill between the valley and the forest built near the remains of the previous iron age fort.

It is also very close to the Ridgeway, a major route across the country especially when linked to Icknield Street.

The Kennet Valley itself is a major route and both this and the Ridgeway pass Avebury one of the most significant religious sites in Britain.

When however you look at the site, if the Roman Army were stretched across the valley floor they could easily be outflanked from the left as you look down the valley, from the Ridgeway via Ogbourne St George or even from the rear along the valley from Avebury .

What about the plain and what about the forest?

Well Savernake forest rises from the top of the valley to the South but what of the plain?

So at first sight it doesn’t look very promising according to the classic interpretation of the site according to Tacitus –

“He chose a position approached by a narrow defile, closed in at the rear by a forest, having first ascertained that there was not a soldier of the enemy except in his front, where an open plain extended without any danger from ambuscades. His legions were in close array; round them, the light-armed troops, and the cavalry in dense array on the wings.”

"At first, the legion kept its position, clinging to the narrow defile as a defence; when they had exhausted their missiles, which they discharged with unerring aim on the closely approaching foe, they rushed out in a wedge-like column."

The forest here is on the south of the top of the hill of the valley, so if the army was in front of the forest they would have to be drawn up on the side of the valley (which on the south side here is very steep) and would act as a rampart.

So if the army is drawn up towards the base of the valley side they are standing on the top of the rampart with the land sloping up towards them from a comparatively narrow valley floor.

So the battle site is then the same place but being fought across the valley and lo and behold the other side of the valley although sloping steadily becomes a huge plain but limited by valleys to the sides and partly to the rear but with access to the river in the valley bottom.

There are two rivers the Og which joins the Kennet which in turn flows eastwards to the Thames .

Rather go any further at this time I have attached a picture filesof an indication of the forces.......

The Roman forces have been worked out at 3 feet per man. The Legions are 8 men deep and the Batavians at 4 deep and the Auxilliaries in a single line. (All conjecture of course but if a charge is to be successful that will the required amount) The Brythons are not in any battle array but just to show that the plain is big enough to muster a huge force.

[attachment]Cunetio Pictures.doc[/attachment]
Deryk
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Deryk - 08-06-2012, 01:27 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM

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