Boudica: Freedom Fighter or Psychopath?

Now this is the real “History Channel”!

Fascinating stuff. What I find so strange is that as far as I know, nobody has been able to locate the site of the battle of Watling Street. Perhaps not so strange, Richard III has only relatively recently been found under a car park!. Thanks for posting.

When I was at school she was called Boadicea. At what point did her name change to Boudicca and why? Thanks very much for this thrilling account, I don't think the terms Freedom Fighter and Psychopath are necessarily mutually exclusive.

Given what the Roman Historians tell us she and her daughters underwent at the hands of the "Pax Romana", I'm not surprised if she got a bit....well, tetchy. "They make a desert, and call it peace".

Dear Chris, this story was extremely interesting and helpful, I recommend The Eagle and the Raven by Caroline Gedge again. We have a similar figure in our history Vileda, a German wise woman who leads the Batavian uprising 70/71,similar too in the number of Romans vs Germans slain by Boudicca. I believe, the Germans like the Celts on the island were just deeply used to be fighting and killing their neighbors. They feel for the clan and family and not to be a People. Waiting for Prasatugas, nicely done again. Ludwig

Very well done Chris!!!! Many thanks for posting!

Great post Chris, thank you.

Great video ! I love listening to these interesting snippets of history while at work

Awesome video, thanks for the history Chris

Different times ... different mentalities and attitudes ... In those days death was omnipresent and always just around the corner ... Perhaps as a result people were more inured to death and as a result the death of OTHERS meant little ... Whereas the death of a personal loved one always was treated with reverence.

YEEEESSSS, AT LAST, the Roman video we've been awaiting from ya for a while, Chris old chap, the one about Boudica. And once again, I really HAVE to thank ya so much for giving me yet again massive facts I'd never known about this woman ever since my primary school days, cos I HAVE known full well about Boudica all this time, but certainly hardly any, if any at all really, of the facts that YOU, our great British military history YouTuber, have now just delivered. Hero or psychopath, you want us to ask ourselves about her? Well, in terms of hero, Boudica certainly has been a big symbol in the fight for freedom from enslavement by a ruling empire's forces, but on the other hand, the fact that the many thousands her tribal forces slaughtered and wiped out in their revolt against Rome's forces were actually her own people, the Britons, rather than actual Roman people and soldiers... That certainly is what a psychopathical tyrant would do. Whatever though, I now HAVE to get such a damn move on FINALLY seeing the 2003 movie about Boudica, which between it and the Netflix movie about her looks to be the better of the two, AND it features our old friend River Song from Doctor Who aka Alex Kingston as the warrior woman herself, and now that you've done today's video, THAT is now even more motivation for me to FINALLY see that. And btw, I at last watched the movie of 'The Cockleshell Heroes' this morning, after watching your history video on the real brave men of that heroic bunch and Operation Frankton enough times beforehand, and BOY did I certainly love it indeed, NOW I see why it was a big hit the year it came out, and yes, it does differ quite a lot from the real Operation Frankton, the reasons you said of which in your video a couple of months ago, but it sure does shed light on the REAL Cockleshell Heroes indeed and keeps their memories alive, so it sure was well worth seeing the movie at last. And I've also found the 2011 documentary about it I believe you mentioned about in your video also, which I also now plan to look at

Fascinating and revealing with an equally interesting dilemma posed in the thumbnail. It has shifted my perception indeed. Though I will refrain from commenting on my school teachings.👏👍👌

Fascinating stories indeed, thanks for sharing keep up the excellent work.

Amazing content and channel ❤❤ please more

Another great presentation, Chris. Well done! I'm looking forward to your take on Venutius and his revolt(s). Being Lancashire born-and-bred I always feel a certain modest pride when I read about how the Brigantes kept the Romans at bay for what was it - nearly a century? - with the Romans reportedly still fighting the Brigantes in the first half of the second century. And there's some speculation that the Brigantes may have been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of the mighty Legion IX Hispana. Such a pity that there are almost no surviving contemporary records of these events. Keep up the good work!

very interesting story and use of artwork to tell the story

Another great story well narrated. Thanks Chris. Cartimandua next perhaps?

Thanks Chris, great video

Thanks so much for this Chris

Great channel detail is key