Battle of Watling Street 61 AD: Roman Empire Vs British Tribes

It is the year 60 on the plains of Britannia, modern-day Britain. A Roman army under the command of Gaius Suetonius Paulinus awaits patiently upon the plains, for a massive horde of Britannic tribes is quickly descending on their position. With a large Britannic army quickly on the horizon, Paulinus has hastily amassed a force of 10,000 Roman soldiers, including his own Legio XIV Gemina, some vexillationes of the 20th Valeria Victrix, and any available auxiliaries and cavalry he can muster. Knowing full well his force is vastly outnumbered, Paulinus has opted to station his army in a narrow passage surrounded by woods and dense foliage which protected his army's rear and flanks. Just over the horizon approached a massive army of native Britannic tribesmen. They are led by their Iceni warrior queen, Boudicca. Queen Boudicca, leading the Britons from the front atop her war chariot, was ever confident in her army's chances at victory, after all her army outnumbered the Romans at least eight to one. Although the Britons were gathered in considerable force, the Iceni tribe and other tribes had been disarmed by the occupying Romans some years before Boudicca's rebellion, and it is believed they were poorly equipped in arms and armor in comparison to their Roman foe. Upon departing to give battle, the Britons had placed their supply wagons at the opposite end of the would-be battlefield, from where their families could watch what they may have expected to be an overwhelming victory. Although not comprehensible at the moment, this act would inevitably have turned out to be a disaster for the Britons. Although heavily outnumbered, Roman general Paulinus was confident in his men's chances of overcoming the odds. After all, his men were more experienced, better trained, better equipped in arms and armor. His soldiers fought as a disciplined unit as opposed to his Briton foes whom fought as individual warriors. But the most important factor that gave Paulinus his confidence was his choice of battlefield terrain. As mentioned prior, it would protect the Romans from all side and rear attacks, and was essential for the Roman style of battle. This removed Boudicca's numerical advantage by preventing her from flanking the Romans and essentially making it a head-on engagement. Paulinus's masterful choice of terrain showcased him as a great tactical Roman general of his time. As Boudicca's army closed in on the Romans, she sought to motivate her soldiers. The Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote of the battle roughly 50 years later, recorded Boudicca's speech to her followers as such. It is not as a woman from noble ancestry, but as one of the people that I am avenging lost freedom, my scourged body, the outraged chastity of my daughters. Roman lust has gone so far that not our very persons, nor even age or virginity, are left unpolluted. But heaven is on the side of the righteous vengeance. A legend which dared to fight has perished. The rest are hiding themselves in their camp, or are thinking anxiously of flight. They will not sustain even the din and the shout of so many thousands, much less our charge and our blows. If you weigh well the strength of the armies and the causes of the war, you will see that in this battle you must conquer or die. This is a woman's resolve. As for men, they may live and be slaves. Tacitus also wrote of Paulinus addressing his own soldiers. Ignore the racket made by these barbaric savages. There are more women than men in their ranks. They are not soldiers. They are not even properly equipped. We have beaten them before, and when they see our weapons and feel our spirit, they will crack. Stick together. Throw your javelins, then push forward. Knock them down with your shields and finish them off with your swords. Forget about plunder. Just win here today, and you will have everything. The battle opened up with Britannic war chariots advancing and skirmishing the Roman front lines. Although the disciplined Roman soldiers with their heavy shields and armor were effective at fending off any serious threat from the projectiles. Now, you know what you can expect from these barbarians. The chariots withdraw and Boudicca orders forth her entire army in a full-scale attack. A race of rabid bastards who will fight us tooth and nail. This civilization is order. Rome is power. Right as the Britons come within charging distance, the Romans loose their pylons and javelins straight into their ranks causing chaos and disarray. The Romans form into wedges resembling that of a saw blade and advance through the Britons cutting through them with ease. The Romans in their cohesive and disciplined wedge formations continue to drive straight through the Britons as if they were a sort of ancient bulldozer, making the Britons numerical advantage completely and utterly obsolete. At this point, the Roman war machine has slaughtered tens of thousands of Britons. The Britons being pushed back as far as their wagon caravan begin to panic. They begin fleeing, but at this rate they are too congested and tightly packed together, making them easy kills for the Roman soldiers who are not showing any mercy. The Roman cavalry, lances extended, attacked the Britons from the flanks as the Roman infantry continued their advance. It was reported by Tacitus that the Romans killed not only the warriors but also the women, children and even pack animals. Tacitus says that according to one estimate, 80,000 Britons were slain on the battlefield compared to only 400 Romans. Boudicca, witnessing the massacre, is said by Tacitus to have fled the battlefield. And after a certain period of time running from the Romans, she eventually poisoned herself. Other historians, such as Cassius Dio, claimed she fell ill and died of natural causes. This overwhelming victory by the Romans was achieved due to their advantage in armour, weapons, discipline and having a great tactician commander in general, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. All of these factors gave them a decisive edge in their battle against the tightly packed Britons. The Battle of Watling Street marks one of, if not the greatest victory in Roman history, as to overcome such odds and not only win but suffer such few losses, was a strategical marvel in the ancient world.