Queen Boudica And Historical Culture In Britain

Taking a long chronological view and a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach, this is an innovative and distinctive book. It is the definitive work on the posthumous reputation of the ever-popular warrior queen of the Iceni, Queen Boadicea/Boudica, exploring her presence in British historical discourse, from the early-modern rediscovery of the works of Tacitus to the first historical films of the early twentieth century. In doing so, the book seeks to demonstrate the continuity and persistence of historical ideas across time and throughout a variety of media. This focus on continuity leads into an examination of the nature of history as a cultural phenomenon and the implications this has for our own conceptions of history and its role in culture more generally. While providing contemporary contextual readings of Boudica's representations, Martha Vandrei also explores the unique nature of historical ideas as durable cultural phenomena, articulated by very different individuals over time, all of whom were nevertheless engaged in the creative process of making history. Thus this study presents a challenge to the axioms of cultural history, new historicism, and other mainstays of twentieth- and twenty-first- century historical scholarship. It shows how, long before professional historians sought to monopolise historical practice, audiences encountered visions of past ages created by antiquaries, playwrights, poets, novelists, and artists, all of which engaged with, articulated, and even defined the meaning of historical truth. This book argues that these individual depictions, variable audience reactions, and the abiding notion of history as truth constitute the substance of historical culture.

Boudica, or Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, led a famous revolt against Roman rule in Britain in AD 60, sacking London, Colchester and St Albans and throwing the province into chaos. Although then defeated by the governor, Suetonius Paulinus, her rebellion sent a shock wave across the empire. Who was this woman who defied Rome? Boudica: Iron Age Warrior Queen is an account of what we know about the real woman, from classical literature, written for the consumption of readers in Rome, and from the archaeological evidence. It also traces her extraordinary posthumous career as the earliest famous woman in British history. Since the Renaissance she has been seen as harridan, patriot, freedom fighter and feminist, written about in plays and novels, painted and sculpted, and recruited to many causes. She remains a tragic, yet inspirational, figure of unending interest.

Boudica' introduces readers to the life and literary importance of Boudica through juxtaposing her literary characterizations in Tacitus and Cassius Dio with those of other women and rebel leaders. Literary comparisons assist in the understanding of Boudica as a barbarian, queen, mother, commander in war, and leader of revolt.

When Roman troops threatened to seize the wealth of the Iceni people, their queen, Boudica, retaliated by inciting a major uprising, allying her tribe with the neighbouring Trinovantes. The ensuing clash is one of the most important - and dramatic - events in the history of Britain, standing testament to what can happen when an insensitive colonial power meets determined resistance from a subjugated people head-on. In this fascinating account of a legendary figure, Miranda Aldhouse-Green raises questions about female power, colonial oppression, and whether Boudica would be seen today as a freedom fighter, terrorist or martyr.

The Legacy of Boadicea explores the construction of personal and national identities in early modern England. It highlights the problems and anxieties of national identity in a nation with no native classical past. Written in an accessible style, The Legacy of Boadicea: * offers powerful new readings of the ancient British past in Shakespeare's King Lear and Cymbeline * persuasively illuminates a 'Boadicean' heritage in royal iconography, drama, and the social symptoms of religious dissent * articulates parallels between the eventual domestication of Britain's warrior queen in Restoration drama, and the social, political and legal decline in the status of women.

"This is the first book to concentrate exclusively on texts about Boudica and to cover the full chronological range from the first surviving historical account by Tacitus in AD 98 to the triumphant conclusion of Manda Scott's series of novels in 2006. All our knowledge of the ancient British queen Boudica, and her ferocious yet ultimately unsuccessful rebellion against the Romans, is derived from a few accounts in ancient Greek and Latin. Yet they have inspired a flood of history, fictional narrative, drama, and poetry, and there is no indication that the process has ended. This study illuminates and celebrates the rich variety generated by the creative tensions between writers' knowledge and their individual tastes, beliefs, and political or artistic aims and considers whether Boudica's textual metamorphoses are without limits or variations on a distinctive theme bounded by a flexible yet enduring narrative pattern." --Book Jacket.

Queen Boudica, leader of the Iceni, revolted against the Romans in AD60 only to have her efforts avenged by a humiliated Roman army. This lively and fascinating book examines in detail the evidence and theories which surround these events.

Boudica has been immortalised throughout history as the woman who dared take on the Romans - an act of vengeance on behalf of her daughters, tribe and enslaved country. Her known life is a rich tapestry of wife, widow, mother, queen and Celtic quasi-Goddess. But beneath this lies a history both dark and shocking, with fresh archaeological evidence adding new depth and terrifying detail to the worn-out myths. From the proud warrior tribes of her East Anglian childhood to the battlefields of her defeat, this is a vividly written and evocatively told story, bringing a wealth of new research and insight to bear on one of the key figures in British history and mythology. From the author of the much-praised Captain Cook comes a major new historical biography; a gripping and enlightening recreation of Boudica, her life, her adversaries, and the turbulent era she bestrode.