Battlefield Britain: Boudican Rebellion

[Anonymous]

Any of you lucky people get to watch this on BBC2 a few weeks ago? Truly tragic. Dubious (at best) computer reconstructions of Paulinus and the Queen herself. Actors improvising as soldiers from both sides, the Romans delightfully nasty ("Our job was to force civilization on them - whether they liked it or not!"), the Iceni suitably oppressed and waxing lyrical about the druids - who, incidentally, were protrayed as defenceless old men in white nightshirts a la Getafix, helplessly slaughtered by those naughty Romans. The programme makers apparently missed this bit in Tacitus, then:<br>
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Quote:</em></strong><hr>Women were seen running through the ranks in wild disorder; their apparel funeral; their hair loose to the wind, in their hands flaming torches, and their whole appearance resembling the frantic rage of the Furies. The Druids were ranged in order, with hands uplifted, invoking the gods, and pouring forth horrible imprecations. The novelty of the fight struck the Romans with awe and terror. They stood in stupid amazement, as if their limbs were benumbed, riveted to one spot, a mark for the enemy.<hr><br>
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Mind you, it's not surprising they missed that bit: they seemed to prefer Cassius Dio to Tacitus (obvious choice, him writing over 100 years later, far more preferable to someone alive at the time of the Rebellion).<br>
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Still, the computer generated reconstruction of the battle wasn't bad.<br>
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[Robert Vermaat]

I thought the bit when they talked about 'Druidism' as if it were a national religion was very odd, to say the least.<br>
Oh, and the Celts grimly talking about slaughtering the Romans because 'they had to do it' had bery modern overtones. As did the bit where they expressed a little sadness about all the children they had slaughtered.<br>
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Did you notice the guy from the IXth? He was 'interviewed' before the battle, then they said the IXth was wiped out but for the legate and a few horse (I doubt that was correct), and then that same soldier managed to be in the final battle with Paulinus' forces!<br>
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But the people from II Augusta did a good job acting as the IX Hispana being wiped out (considering their Legion almost did not fight..)<br>
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Valete,<br>
Valerius/Robert <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=vortigernstudies>Vortigern Studies</A> at: 9/24/04 9:02 pm<br></i>

[Anonymous]

Yes, I did so love those interviews<br>
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Still, nothing in the Boudicca episode could compare to the one on Hastings, with Norman knights alluding to the Age of Steam ("We steamed into [the Saxon line]") and a Saxon quoting Shakespeare ("a band of brothers").<br>
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Ah, joy unbound. <p></p><i></i>

[Robert Vermaat]

Ah, maybe there IS a place for the SCA on the European battlefields!<br>
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Valete,<br>
Valerius/Robert <p></p><i></i>