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Poenius Postumus
Poenius Postumus was the Praefectus Castrorum of the Second Augusta Legion at the time and though his aid was requested by Suetonnius, it seems the request was ignored. Subsequently, at the end of the campaign he committed suicide by falling on his sword, presumably in shame.
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The Final Battle
The exact location of the final battle is unknown though many believe it is somewhere along the Roman Road known today as Wattling Street.
Military numbers vary for the battle but it is generally agreed that Suetonnius had approximately ten thousand men under his command, made up from the Gemina, the remains of the Hispana, part of the Valeria Victrix and several vexillations (smaller units) from around the country.
Numbers for Boudicca’s army range from a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand and though we will never know the exact figure, it is agreed the Britannic army vastly outnumbered the Romans.
Despite this superiority, the narrowness of the carefully selected valley meant Boudicca could only deploy the same amount of men as the Romans at any one time and her numerical superiority was thus nullified. The Roman tactics and discipline won the day and when they turned the native army, Boudicca’s warriors were caught amongst their watching families and the carts they had brought to witness the anticipated victory. Tacitus reports that over eighty thousand Britons died that day compared to only four hundred Romans.
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Emperor Nero
Nero was the Emperor at the time and he seriously contemplated abandoning Britannia. If Boudicca had prevailed in the final battle, it is likely Roman occupation would have ended and our history would have been vastly different.
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More Books by K. M. Ashman
The India Sommers Mysteries
The Dead Virgins
The Treasures of Suleiman
The Mummies of the Reich
The Roman Trilogy
Roman I – The Fall of Britannia
Roman II – The Rise of Caratacus
Roman III – The Wrath of Boudicca
Novels
Savage Eden
The Last Citadel
Vampire
The Medieval Trilogy
Medieval I – Blood of the Cross
Follow Kevin’s blog at:
WWW.Silverbackbooks.co.uk
or contact him direct at:
[email protected]
Roman III - The Wrath of Boudicca Page 31
