Dan Snow's History Hit - Storytime with the Snows: Boudica

Episode Date: December 25, 2021

In a special episode of the podcast, Dan's children join him for a lively retelling of Boudica and the violent uprising that tore Roman Britain apart- a classic bedtime story in the Snow household. Merry Christmas from Dan and his family! Please vote for us! Dan Snow's History Hit has been nominated for a Podbible award in the 'informative' category: https://bit.ly/3pykkdsIf you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

This is History's Heroes. People with purpose, brave ideas, and the courage to stand alone. Including a pioneering surgeon who rebuilt the shattered faces of soldiers in the First World War. You know, he would look at these men and he would say, don't worry, Sonny, you'll have as good a face as any of us when I'm done with you. Join me, Alex von Tunzelman, for History's Heroes. Subscribe to History's Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. Hi everyone, welcome to Dan Snow's History. This episode is being broadcast on Christmas Day 2021.

I want to wish anyone listening to this a very Merry Christmas, particularly if it's on the day itself. Hope you're finding a way to get into christmas spirit wherever you are in the world and this is a kind of a weird podcast it's here by popular my popular i mean one or two people have asked for this over the last five years i tell my kids a lot of stories about history and some people thought it might be fun if we recorded one of our storytelling sessions and broadcast it to the world and so here we go folks, because it's Christmas day, it's time for families. What could be more Christmassy than a little story time with

dad? Admittedly, not about the most traditionally Christmassy subject, but about a violent uprising that tore Roman Britain apart in 60 AD. You know it. It's Boudicca. Enjoy. in 60 AD. You know it. It's Boudicca. Enjoy. Can you hear that, Dada? Yeah, I can. I can hear that. Okay, what story do you want to tell, guys? Boudicca! Yeah!

Is that one of your faves? Yes. Which other ones do you like while we're on the subject? Francis Drake. Francis Drake. Okay, I think Boudicca's a good Christmas one, isn't it? Oh, yeah. while we're on the subject. Francis Drake. Francis Drake. Okay, I think Boudicca's a good Christmas one, isn't it? Oh, yeah. Wait, yeah, but, like, there are no Christmas ones. Okay, doesn't matter.

Don't worry about it. It's a good story for any time of year. Yeah. So 2,000 years ago, this island was divided up into lots of small kingdoms. One of them... Called England? No, England wasn't invented yet. England came later.

But there was a place that we now call England, was divided into small kingdoms. And one of them was ruled over by a king called Presutagus and his wife... Boudica! Exactly. And Britain was invaded by the Romans. Almost 2,000 years ago in 34 AD. No, no, no, no, no. You told it wrong. You were meant to do the bit where you like, they were looking out their window and then one day they saw the Romans coming in.

Okay, well, hang on a second. Oh, what, you mean on the cliff? Okay, we'll go back to the cliff. Okay, well, in 34... Daddy's just checking the date. Sorry about this, listeners. We're having a bit of trouble right now. Oh, I see, 43. So in 43 AD, people standing along the white cliffs of Dover looked out at the English Channel and what did they see? The women!

A mighty fleet of ships coming across the channel with the blessing of the sea god who was... Poseidon, we're off to sea! No, not... Well, yes, but the Romans called him Neptune. Neptune. Neptune. And Neptune ensured the waters were calm that day and the Emperor Claudius sent his invasion

force along and they fought a couple of mighty battles. The elephants that the Romans brought with them sent the British panicking away. Why? Elephants are nice. Yeah, well they're not. There's a bunch of savage Romans arriving and putting them in charge of you, right? They stampeded people. Exactly. So, southern Britain was conquered by the Romans, okay? But the British chiefs and kings and queens in these little areas, all the little kingdoms of Britain had to make a decision. Did they fight or did they?

Die. No, no, did they fight or did they like, die? Pay the Romans? Yeah, did they kind of make a deal with the Romans? Or did they die? Or did they, yeah, exactly. Anyway, so some of the kings and queens like the king of the

Iceni tribe, Prasutagus, Prasutagus, and his wife Boudica. They made a decision that they would make a deal with the Romans. They would let the Romans be overall in charge as long as they were left in control of their part of England. And their part of England

was sort of Norfolk, which is where your Uncle Eddie is from, okay? The Romans came and asked for a bit of money and asked them to kind of swear allegiance to them, and Boudicca and Prastica said, yes, sure, just let us run our own affairs, and we will swear overall allegiance to you, okay? And this was sort of fine, and the situation went on fine,

until in 60 AD, 30 years, 25 years later, something terrible happened. Prasutagus was on his deathbed. He was dying. His daughters were around him. His senior. How many daughters? We think maybe about two daughters, maybe.

And his wife, Boudica, was mopping his sweating brow. He was dying. And he said, Boudicca, what should we do about the Romans? When I'm dead, they may try and take over. I've come up with a plan. And Boudicca said, well, what's that plan? He said, when I die, I will leave half of my kingdom to you and the girls and half to the emperor of Rome so that they get their share.

But you can continue to rule. And Boedicca said, all right, well, it's a plan. Let's see how that goes. But unfortunately, the Roman… So he died? So he died and he passed away. I love you, my wife and children. And he died.

Oh, no. How did he? We don't know. Of old age? Yeah, probably of old age. We don't know. Then he'll be a grandma. No, a grandpa! Okay, good point. Anyway, he died. And when the Romans heard that King Prasutagus had died, they sat there in their palace. No, they did not cry, they did the opposite.

They sat there in their palace. The chief taxation officer of Roman Britain thought, oh, this is rather good news, isn't it? That annoying Prasutagus has died, leaving only his silly old wife and daughters. Ha, these women shouldn't be too much trouble for me to deal with. I'm going to send my men and take all of his money and land. I'm not going to take half of it.

And so Romans were sent left, right, left, right, doof, doof, doof, doof, up the road. No, but they're like left, right, left, right, because they're not English, they're Italian. Left, right, left, right, left. And they arrived. They arrived, possibly in a place called Thetford which I have been to

where's that? what are you doing? Rolfi decided to drink an entire bottle of water come on bud let's get you back in the game if I can't drink it next to the microphone and in Thetford to this day there are these great big Iron Age mounds that may be the defensive positions of the Iceni people.

Anyway, the Romans marched up. They banged on the gates and said, let me in. Thank you all. Let us in in the name of the Emperor Nero. And the Iceni said, we'll let you in. We have no beef with Rome. You have come to collect the half of the treasure that was yours in the will of Prasutagus.

The Romans said, yeah, there's no about that will. No, but they're not English. They're Italian. I'm not going to do Italian. They're Italian. Okay, about that will, guys. The will ain't worth the paper. It's written on.

Get out of my way. They smashed their way through. Get out of my way. They smashed their way through into Boudicca's presence. They killed her guards. Boudicca faced them down and said, How dare you Romans come into here? I am an ally of the emperor.

I am a client of the emperor Nero. You are disrespecting our bargain with Rome. If the Roman word cannot be counted on, this empire will blow over like a house of cards. And the Roman said, well, we'll take our chance with that, love. And one of them pushed her to the ground. Her daughters were dragged out screaming. They were whipped.

The treasure was taken. Boudicca was beaten up. The house was set on fire. People screamed. The people of the Iceni tribe screamed. The Romans took whatever they wanted. They drove off cattle and livestock, took whatever was valuable, money, weapons, tools,

loaded them into carts and marched off. And there was silence. Just a great cloud of smoke rising above the Iceni village. Shrieks and lamentations of the women. What does that mean? Lamentations. People are lamenting. Oh no! Like that. Okay.

Of the men and women as they cradle dead loved ones in their arms. And then out of the smoke, Boudica emerged. Her face bloody. Wait, had the Romans gone? Yeah. Her face bloody. Her clothes torn. Leading her daughters by the hands. We Yeah. Okay. Her face bloody, her clothes torn, leading her daughters by the hands,

weeping, staggering in pain. And she looked around at the devastation. People gathered. Her voice said, Queen Boudicca, what are we going to do? There was a long pause. She looked out over the crowd of faces, and she said,

you must all do what you wish. For my part, I will fight. Fight? Like Creme Brulee person? Creme Brulee person? Who's the Creme Brulee person? The person who the French people, whatever they're called. Oh, Joan of Arc?

Yeah. How is she a Creme Brulee person? They burned her. They burned her in the end. That's another story. Okay, anyway. Yes, a bit like Joan of Arc, to be honest. A bit like Joan of Arc.

Anyway. And then she stood there and she made the following speech. She said, the Romans today have showed their true character. Well, she didn't actually say it, but you're just like... I'm telling a story based on the available evidence. Okay. And also making things up a bit. She said the Romans have shown their true character.

There can be no peace in this land. There can be no freedom in this land until the Romans have gone. And not just gone, been exterminated like a pest, been driven from these shores and taken every vestige of Roman rule with them. Their hateful coins, their religions, their taxations, their buildings,

their mosaics, their animals. Those little rabbits they brought with them. Why a rabbit? The Romans have disrespected not only me and my daughters, not only the memory of King Prasutagus, but they have disrespected every single one of you by shedding our blood today.

I, as a woman, will fight. I will not live in slavery. You men can do what you wish. Now, who is with me? Ah! Yeah! What up? There was a moment of silence

and then a shout went up from the back. I'm with you, Boudica. Another voice. Yeah, I'll come. Yeah, I'll come. Yeah, I'm coming, Boudica. Yeah, count me in. And suddenly the whole tribe was roaring. Words were sent out. Children, fast runners were, Boudicca. Yeah, count me in. And suddenly the whole tribe was roaring. Words were sent out. Children, fast runners were sent to neighbouring villages. The neighbouring tribe, the Trinovantes, were involved.

They sent messengers and they agreed they would join the rebellion. And Boudicca said, now we're going to move fast. We're going to strike hard. These Romans think we're beaten. We will show them how the Iceni, we will show them how the Trinovantes, we will show them how the British fight when they are backed into a corner and we will strike them at the heart of the Roman beast we are marching on foot also but where are they going they're going to Colchester. Colchester, Camino Dunum, the hated capital of Roman Britain. You said but they also attacked them when they were in their woods.

I know, but that's actually... Don't worry about what I said before. This is a slightly more accurate version of the story. Okay. And so they marched. They picked up their spears. They picked up their bows, arrows and swords. They painted their bodies.

They asked their gods for protection. They kissed goodbye to their loved ones. Then men and women set off. They didn't take the Roman road. They didn their gods for protection. They kissed goodbye to their loved ones and men and women set off. They didn't take the Roman road. They didn't take the main road. They knew the byways and the backways. They marched. They ran through the woods. They sped. That's right, Willem. They moved fast. They didn't wait. They didn't camp at night. Their hearts were aflame. Their legs were powered by revenge, by the hope of freedom. Before any Roman messengers, before any Roman troops knew what was happening, before any scouts could report back, they arrived at the hills overlooking Colchester, gleaming below in the

Thames estuary. The Romans were building magnificent buildings. In the centre, a great temple to the god Claudius was being built, the emperor who had conquered Britain. Is he the god of clouds? No, Claudius was the god. He was Nero's very unfortunate stepfather, and relative in various other ways, I can't remember. Anyway, the temple was being built in the middle.

Camulodunum was not properly protected, because the Romans had never thought that the southern British would ever try and have an uprising like this. And so, Boudicca let out a shriek of war. And in her chariot she crashed down the hill with her daughters riding

behind her, her long auburn hair flowing out behind her. No, they were beaten up, they weren't captured. Her auburn hair flowing out behind her, she looked like the embodiment of war. She looked like the goddess of war charging down. And on her tail came the people of the Iceni and other tribes. And they smashed into Camulodunum.

They took that city. They rampaged over the half-built defences. They burned the shops. They smashed everything. They slaughtered without mercy. There was terrible violence that day. And they burned the city to the ground And they burned the city to the ground. They burned the city to the ground.

Now, the Romans had some retired soldiers living there, old men who'd served Rome for decades. They grabbed old weapons. They grabbed old armour and shields from the corners of rooms, and they took refuge in the only building they thought might be able to withstand the attack, and that is the Temple of Claudius. And I have been into the basement of the Temple of Claudius.

The basement? It's still there today. Didn't she burn it? She burned it, but William the Conqueror built a castle on the exact site when he came a thousand years later. What was it made out of? Stone. Yeah, but what type of stone?

Well, good question in that part of Britain, but probably Kentish ragstone. Anyway. I don't know what that is. Well, I may have just made that up. We'll see. Probably stone built... We'll have to be the historian around here.

Okay, but I suspect there was not much good building stone there, so it could have been brought up from Kent or by boat, but we'll see. Anyway, there was scaffolding around it and there was lots of building material lying around it. And the Roman veterans, with their families, screaming children, they boarded themselves up in that temple and they held out for two days as Boudicca's warriors

tried to burn them out, tried to smoke them out, threw weapons, spears, projectiles, shot arrows, and they were slowly picked off one by one. Eventually, as Boudicca's forces were getting ready to storm the final stronghold of Roman rule in Camino Dunum, the people inside killed themselves rather than fall into British hands. Then they'll get arrested. For killing themselves? Yeah.

Yeah, because that's illegal. You told us that the other day. It is, but it's the different times. Anyway. And so the bodies of the men and women and children of the Roman colony were dragged out of the temple. The temple was destroyed brick by brick. Did any of them survive?

Maybe a few of them survived. You listen to Dan Snow's history here, folks. I know it sounds a little weird. Normal service will be resumed soon. But today, Christmas Day, I'm telling my kids the story of Boudicca. More coming up. This is History's Heroes. People with purpose, brave ideas, and the courage to stand alone,

including a pioneering surgeon who rebuilt the shattered faces of soldiers in the First World War. You know, he would look at these men and he would say, don't worry, Sonny, you'll have as good a face as any of us when I'm done with you. Join me, Alex von Tunzelman, for History's Heroes. Subscribe to History's Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. Meanwhile, news had got out. As the Romans were desperately holding out in the temple, the 9th Legion was marching towards Colchester, Camulodunum. They'd heard that Boudicca was revolting.

They desperately grabbed their weapons and they marched. They were marching along a long Roman road and they went into a forest outside Colchester. Now, Boudicca had been expecting this move. They were marching late. Usually, they should have stopped to camp for the night in hostile territory, but they were desperate to reach their friends, their families, their comrades in Carmulo Dunham. So they kept marching as the shadows were lengthening.

It was dusk. It was dark. And they were in the woods. They were thinking, is this a good idea, Sarge? Should we march through here? Yes. Continue marching. We can camp on the far side of the wood. We have no time to spare. We'll sleep for a few hours and then in the woods. They were thinking, is this a good idea, Sarge? Should we march through here? Yes, continue marching. We can camp on the far side of the wood. We have no time to spare. We'll sleep for a few hours and then continue the march.

In the dark woods, something was moving in the bushes to either side of the Roman legion. Sharp-eyed Roman scouts could see something in the bushes. Was it a deer? Was it a wolf prowling? Or was it the British? The British! They kept marching. They had no choice. They had to reach Camiodun.

They couldn't stop here in the middle of the wood. Their legion strung out in a column like this. And so the mighty 9th Legion kept marching. And then suddenly, in the darkness, a fiery arrow shot into the air and landed into the breast of one of the leading Roman soldiers. The Roman column stopped. They looked around them. Look sharp, lads. Close up the ranks. I don't like the look of this. What's going on? Call out anything if you see it.

And suddenly another fiery arrow, this time shot from the back of the column, through the shoulder of a Roman he collapsed onto the flagstones of the road writhing in pain his comrades gathered around him looking round terrified into looming darkness

and then came the sound that they'd been dreading the war cry of an enraged warrior queen it sounded like a a wolf being strangled it sounded like a wolf being strangled. It contained all the rage and bitterness of a woman who was now fighting for her own life and for the freedom of her people.

And with that, suddenly from out of the darkness, the British came. The Romans were surrounded. They fought bravely, but they were annihilated in the wood that night. The British had the element of surprise. They hurled themselves at the Romans, attacked from all sides. The Romans, shield wall, shield wall, they screamed. It held briefly, but then the British were amongst them, attacking them from the side, from behind.

The Romans, they'd been marching, they'd been trying to go fast. They hadn't got their full armour on. They didn't have time to deploy. Their lines were penetrated. They were hacked to the ground, screaming for mercy, and no mercy was given. The British were bent on revenge that night, and Boudicca rode through the battlefield, the fire casting an eerie light on her as she galloped along, her blade red with Roman blood. Did she just go on a horse? Well, she may have been on a horse or a chariot, I'm not entirely sure, but either way.

Probably a chariot. Because in Horrible Histories, it's said that there was a spike in the wheels of her chariot, so when they went round, they cut off the people's limbs who were next to her chariot. That's what they said in Horrible Histories. Okay, well, this is not the Horrible Histories version, guys. This is a far superior product.

Did you just insult Horrible Histories? No, I've never done that, of course. Anyway, the Roman legion was destroyed. The Roman leader of that legion escaped with his cavalry. Only people had horses escaped that night. Anyone on foot was butchered. The emperor wasn't there. The emperor was in Rome, relaxing in Rome or trying to kill his mother at that point.

What? Why? It's a different story. I'll tell you that sometime. Anyway. So the people of Camulodunum were slaughtered. The 9th Legion was slaughtered in the woods. No one knows where that battlefield is to this day. One day we may find it. Can you imagine how excited we'll be? The archaeology. We may find archaeology.

There would be like an arrow in the ground. There'd be arrows and swords and all sorts of bits of broken... Although most of it was collected up after battle and recycled. Anyway. Recycled. Brutica knew she had to keep going and strike hard at the Roman bases in southern Britain. And the reason was this. Because the Roman military governor

of Britain was in the north. Suetonius Paulinus. Now, he was one tough cookie. Boudicca had chosen the timing of her revolt well, because Paulinus was in the north. Oh, and he was fighting the Druids. He was dealing with a massive, massive army of Druids. Druids are the religious leaders of ancient Britain.

They're like a priestly caste. And they did not like the Romans. They rose up in a massive rebellion against the Romans at the same time. So Boudicca was quite clever. She'd taken this opportunity to attack the Romans whilst they were busy elsewhere. So Titus Paulius' army was in what we now call Wales. Wales?

What was it called then? Good question. It was just part of Britain and part of these different kingdoms of Britain. Do you know what Wales means? Wales in the English world means stranger or foreigner, the Welsh. So it's what Anglo-Saxons called the British who lived there. Anyway, so he's attacked the island of Anglesey called Mona. It was a sacred island for the Druids

where they threw precious offerings into the bogs of Anglesey. And so he tells Paulinus, it was like D-Day. They landed on the shore. They fought a Druid army on the shore, in the shallows. I've taken you there, remember? We haven't changed story. I'm explaining what Paulinus is doing whilst Boudicca's in southern Britain. This is history's heroes.

People with purpose, brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Including a pioneering surgeon who rebuilt the shattered faces of soldiers in the First World War. You know, he would look at these men and he would say, don't worry, Sonny, you'll have as good a face as any of us when I'm done with you. Join me, Alex von Tunzelman, for History's Heroes. Subscribe to History's Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to History's Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. They fought them in the shallows and the Druids fought hard, but they died under Roman steel in the shallows of the Straits of Mona.

Mona. And so Paulinus was celebrating his victory over the Druid army when news arrived that the south of his province was in uproar romans were being slaughtered roman rule was in danger of being extinguished and he got on his horse and he rode south hard he said to his armies follow me march minimum 20 miles a day i'll meet you on the road i'm going to london see if I can revive the situation in London. By the time he got to London, Colchester had fallen. The 9th Legion had been obliterated. There were no troops in southern Britain that would obey the call. The 2nd Legion was in Exeter, but they were too scared to come.

They were so terrified by the news, they stayed in Exeter. And can you believe it? They did not answer Suetonius Paulinus' call to help. So Suetonius had no troops to defend London, which was a sprawling... Cowards, exactly. A sprawling commercial city on the banks of the Thames with London Bridge, where I took you the other day.

Remember that? Oh, yeah. The old London Bridge. And we looked at the Roman roads through London. Do you remember? Yeah. And it was by that big column. Do you remember what that's called, guys?

The column? Yeah. Remember what that's called, Wolfie The column? Yeah. The column of London. Remember what that's called, Wolfie? London. Alla? Monument? Oh, the London Monument.

The Great Fair of London Monument. That's a different story, but that is on the site of the main Roman road through London. Oh, ghost? No, it's on the site of. He said the ghost. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ghosts. So he got to London,

and he had to abandon London to its fate. Any soldiers left, anyone that could ride. Because she was burning London? No, she burned Coxton, and she was marching towards London. He said, we have to its fate. Any soldiers left, anyone that could ride. Because she was going to London? No, she burned Cotswold and she was marching towards London. He said, we have to leave. And he retreated. The Roman governor retreated from London and headed north to meet his legions.

And so Boudicca's army fell upon London. Anyone who could had escaped by boat. They'd gone across to France. They'd done whatever they could to escape the wrath of the Britons. But there were still old people there. There were still people there who didn't want to leave their possessions. Young people, people that couldn't travel, the sick.

And guess what happened to them? They died. They got burnt to a crisp. Slaughtered. Yay! People were put on spikes by the British. How sad. Yeah, it was a bit sad. And the city was destroyed. Like Colchester, the city was destroyed Like Colchester

The city was burned They kind of killed their own people Huh? They kind of killed their own people Well they regarded these people as foreigners They regarded them as Romans But yeah it's a difficult one And to this day

Remember what I told you If you dig in the centre of London You dig down two or three metres You told us that at school Yeah When you came into the Great Far London I did But what do you find if you dig down?

You find red soil. Yeah. It's called the red layer. You find a red layer and that red layer is all that's left of the first Roman London. It's a melted, baked, smashed layer of

houses and thatching and roof and walls and wood and furniture. And even in there, probably some human remains. And it's still there to this day. It's one of the many great fires of London. There's been several, several great fires of London. And so London lay in ruins.

One of the great settlements of this new Roman province. It looks at this point like Roman rule might be wiped out. Boudicca advanced north. She had to deal with one last major threat. St. Albans. She had to find and destroy the main Roman army in Britain. Then Roman rule would be wiped out.

On the way north, she marched through St. Albans and burned it. And destroyed it as well. Verulamium. We've been to that museum, remember? Yep, and then there was like yeah. And destroyed it as well. It was an orb. Verulamium. We've been to that museum, remember? Yep. And then that was like, yeah. And we've seen lots of those beautiful mosaics. I got a pencil with a gladiator on the top, and I don't know why, because that's Roman. Yeah. And we don't like Rome.

Well, the Roman Museum, it's understandable. They burnt St. Albans. Then they kept marching north. And now we don't know where this happened, but days later, they met the Roman army. No, Daddy, that was Watling Street. It was on Watling Street. We don't know where exactly it happened on Watling Street, because Watling Street runs from London to Chester,

where your granny lives. So it's quite a long way. Yeah, granny lives. Okay, anyway, guys. It was like on a bottle top or something. A bottleneck. A bottleneck. Yeah, that's correct in a way.

The Romans found a very good place to line up their troops, deploy their army. Boudicca's army was much bigger than the Roman army. So they found a valley where there were wooded sides and it was like a bottleneck. So as the British advanced, they would be crunched into this narrow valley. And therefore, only the front ranks of British

could get to grips with the Romans. The big mass of people behind have to wait their turn to try and fight. They couldn't go round the edges of the Romans. They couldn't outflank them. The Romans chose a very good position. Paulinus, the knight for the battle, said to his men, soldiers of Rome, tomorrow we face an enemy determined upon our destruction. We either fight this battle or we die.

If we lose this battle, we are marooned in Britain, surrounded by a hostile hostile countryside hostile people any survivors will be slaughtered if you even think you're going to run away and make it to the coast and get back to rome think again you have no chance our only path to survival is through victory these british have killed our women and children. They have smashed our buildings. They have stolen our wealth. Tomorrow, you will have your chance for revenge. You'll have your chance to reimpose Roman rule on these savages.

Tomorrow, we will show them what happens when you take on Rome. And everyone shouted, Roma victor! Roma victor! Roma victor! That nightor! Roma victor! That night, Boudicca dressed her soldiers. She stood up on a wagon and a huge crowd gathered around her to hear her speak. A wagon.

And she said, tomorrow we face the final battle against Rome. To win our freedom. To win our freedom. 30 years ago, those of us remember, when Britain was free, before the Romans came, this country was happier, it was freer. We didn't have to pay the tax. We didn't have to do what we were told by the foreigners. We didn't have to labour in the fields, toiling away and forced to give anything we grew to the Roman masters. We didn't have to work on their massive building projects, lay the paving

stones to their roads, dig their canals, build their forts. The Romans make us build the means of our own slavery. They make us fashion our own shackles and I will not live with this any longer. You are all free to go. Anyone amongst you who wishes to live as a slave, you go with my blessing. I will not go. My daughters will not go. We will die as free women rather than live as slaves. But what happens if the daughter wants to go? She doesn't want to go. And what do you think happened after that speech? They battled.

And no, they went to bed first. Yeah, they went to bed to get a power nap. Okay, probably some of them did go to sleep first. But many of them stayed up all night sharpening their weapons, praying to their gods, drinking alcohol, saying goodbye to their families. Yeah, but then they would be drunk for the battle. Well, trust me, battles are scary. You might want to be drunk.

It might make it easier for you to go. You would go berserk. You might become a berserker. Well, that is a different story. That's the Viking story. We'll deal with that in a second. come as a Zerker. Well, that is a different story. That's the Viking story. We'll deal with that in a second.

The following morning, the Romans stood there in their solid, silent ranks, guarding the end of this valley. And Boudicca's army made their way towards them. A great mass of troops. They were less well organised. They fought as individuals. Well, the Romans were one unit.

A perfectly drilled weapon of war. And the British, as the British got close, a perfectly drilled weapon of war. And the British, as the British got close, first thing they did was they hurled, throwing hammers. They throwed axes, javelins, the British. That's a bit useless. Well, we'll see. Let's try and thin out the Roman ranks.

But the Romans used their shields like a wall. Shield wall, lads! Their shields touching, rim to rim. Very, very difficult for any projectiles to get through. Their shins protected by armour. They were like a wall of wood and iron, almost impenetrable. If I was the British and I was fighting against the Roman, I would jump on the top of their shield wall and then started bashing the top of the shield.

Right, in between the shields. You know what comes in between the shields? The swords. Short stabbing swords. You'd have been stabbed as you jumped on there. And then the British summoned up their courage and with a roar they charged. Now the Romans had two javelins each.

As the British got close enough, they threw one set of spears. Thousands of spears crashing into the British race. Stabbing, puncturing, wounding, people falling over, tripping up, other people collapsing over them. Then the Romans threw their second javelin. It landed amongst the British as well, causing disruption. More people fell over, sliding, slipping in the mud, collapsing over their friends, their comrades, trampling them down below. Then as they got close, they hurled themselves at the Roman shield wall.

They did what you said, Wolfie. They tried to jump on it, anything, to try and rip it away, pulling the shields apart. But in between the Roman shields, the Romans pushed forward their shields, a heavy metal boss on the front of their shields, acting like it's a hammer, bang, into the British. Then swords nipping out in between. Exactly, short stabbing swords.

The British had longer swords, we think, designed for kind of whirling around the head and great sweeping blows. But in the press of bodies, they weren't able to use their swords. And the Romans were able to nudge in now, short stabbing motions. All right, you be the Roman.

The British were being slaughtered. The Roman army advanced slowly over a wall of corpses. They kept together. The Romans had a system, we think, whereby when troops got really tired at the front, they could rotate. Fresh troops behind them could kind of slide into that position. The British almost certainly didn't have a well-organised system like that. So the ones at the front were being exhausted. They were being pushed from behind. They were being crushed. They couldn't even use their weapons. They were being pushed against the Romans and they were being stabbed and trod on and stamped

down and pushed into the mud and the ground. If one person is bashing into you, why don't you jump over the shield and then attack them from behind? Because guess who's behind? Other Romans? Yeah, other Romans. They're a tight mass of Roman soldiers.

There's no gaps in between them. They're all guarding each other, fighting each other, watching each other's backs. And slowly this Roman spearhead ground forward, striking down the British in front of them. They screamed. They tried to retreat, but they couldn't because people were pressing in from the back.

It was chaos. And eventually Boudicca saw that our army was breaking. The Romans were pushing forward, slaughtering our troops. And Boudicca saw that her army was breaking. The Romans were pushing forward, slaughtering her troops. And Boudicca looked at her daughters and said, I wasn't joking when I said I'd never be captured by these Romans. I'm not going to be paraded through the streets of Rome in chains. I'm not going to see you two killed and disordered in front of me. I'm going to choose death instead.

Her daughters looked at her and said, okay, Mama. And so she got, we don't know how, maybe it was a dagger. Maybe it was a poisonous snake. Maybe it was a poisonous snake. But Boudicca killed herself there on the battlefield. No, she killed her two daughters first. Okay, she killed her two daughters first. She said, this is my final and greatest act of love.

She killed her daughters. Then she killed herself. And the Romans went on killing until the sun set that day. They didn't just kill the soldiers, the men and women fighting. They killed the families who were watching. They killed people who were on the carts who couldn't escape. It was a great slaughter. And we don't know where that battlefield is.

It lies somewhere in the Midlands of England today. I went looking for it once. We got a few theories about where it might be. Do you find any hours? We didn't find anything. So this great battle that decided the fate of Britain, we don't know where it is to this day. But we can guarantee that there's plenty of bodies buried there.

And the Romans took no mercy on the British because after all all the British had killed many of their loved ones, their families, burnt their cities and towns. That's true. And the Romans marched south and re-established control over the province bit by bit. Anyone thought guilty of joining

the rebellion was killed on the spot. Buildings were burned. The Romans wanted to teach the British a lesson they would never forget It wasn't a happy ending Not really, no If you support the Romans, they will But Boudicca was dead

The rebellion was stamped out It was the greatest chance the British ever had of driving the Romans out of Britain Instead, for the next 350 years Rome would rule But Daddy, when you said when it was the part when you shooted the fire arrow, I thought

Boudicca found a dead pig, put it on the arrow and put some fire on it. Yeah, what, pig fat? I did say that before in the last time I told the story. What did I do? Good memory. So I told the story. Well done, you. Good memory. So that is the story of Boudicca.

We hoped you enjoyed. Did you guys enjoy that one? Come next year. Okay. What story should we tell everyone next year? The Christmas truth. No, that's so boring. No, no, no.

Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc. Or Francis Drake. Joan of Arc or Francis Drake. Okay. What about Dan Busters? Dan Busters. Dan Busters. or Francis Drake or Dan Busters Dan Busters Dan Busters

you love Dan Busters daddy ok team anyway say goodbye to everyone thanks for listening folks and have a merry Merry Christmas Merry Christmas and a happy, happy year. I feel we have the history on our shoulders. All this tradition of ours, our school history, our songs, this part of the history of our country, all were gone and finished.

Thanks, folks, for listening to this episode of Dan Snow's History. As I say all the time, I love doing these podcasts. They are the best thing I do professionally. I feel very lucky to have you listening to them. If you fancied giving them a rating review, obviously the best rating review possible would be ideal. It makes a big difference to us. I know it's a pain, but we'd really, really be grateful. And if you want to listen to the other podcasts in our ever-increasing stable, don't forget we've got Susanna Lipscomb with Not Just the Tudors, that's flying high in

the charts. We've got our medieval podcast, Gone the brilliant matt lewis and cat jarman we've got the ancients with our very own tristan hughes and we've got warfare as well dealing with all things military please go and check those out wherever you get your pods this is history's Heroes. People with purpose, brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Including a pioneering surgeon who rebuilt the shattered faces of soldiers in the First World War. You know, he would look at these men and he would say, don't worry, Sonny. You'll have as good a face as any of us when I'm done with you. Join me, Alex von Tunzelman, for History's Heroes. and I'm done with you.

Join me, Alex von Tunzelman, for History's Heroes. Subscribe to History's Heroes wherever you get your podcasts.