Boudica (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Boudica was a queen of the Iceni, a Celtic people who lived on the eastern coast of Britain. The Roman Emperor Claudius had conquered much of Britain some twenty years ago; according to the treaty with the Iceni, Boudica's husband King Prasutagus would continue to rule his kingdom until his death, at which time it would come under Roman rule. Prasutagus died in approximately 60 AD, and the Romans were quick to seize control of the kingdom. According to the historical sources, the Romans treated their new subjects with unbridled cruelty, and greed. Boudica and her daughters were beaten and raped and sent like beggars from their kingdom.
This was a huge mistake. The Romans badly underestimated the Celtic Queen: they would have been far better off killing her outright or treating her with the respect her title deserved.
According to Cassius Dio, a Roman historian, Boudica was "very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace." She was also possessed of a great intelligence and was beloved by her people.
After her humiliation Boudica convinced a number of nearby kingdoms to revolt against the rapacious Romans; they quickly raised a large army and made Boudica the commander.
At the time, Paulus, the Roman in charge of the island's military forces, was away on business. In his absence Boudica's army wreaked havoc across the island, visiting on their Roman prisoners the same sort of depredations the Romans had recently tormented the Celts with. A number of Roman cities were burned, and the campaign ended with the capture and destruction of the important city of "Londinium" (London).
By then the Roman forces had rallied, and though badly outnumbered, had decided to make their stand some miles distant from Boudica. The queen immediately launched an attack against the hated foe. Although she had the great advantage of numbers, her army was no match for the disciplined and highly trained Roman troops, who blunted the initial Celtic rush with a wave of thrown javelins and then proceeded to kill every Celtic warrior they could catch. Boudica is said to have killed herself rather than risk Roman capture.
Although she had led her people for only a year, Boudica's valiant but doomed rebellion would make her a legendary figure in history. Europe would not see another female warrior of her quality for some fourteen centuries, until a young woman named "Joan" would a see vision telling her to rise and fight for the Catholic King of France.