Boudica had her lands seized, she was flogged and she was forced to witness her daughters being raped. However, she used these insults and injustice as the motivational force to rise up against the Roman Empire. Read Boudica’s story and consider the challenge that follows.
Female Leaders: Boudica
As a child I learnt about Queen Boadicea of the Iceni tribe, now more commonly known as Boudica (also spelt Boudicca). The Iceni tribe resided in what is now East Anglia in England and had the misfortune to be an indigenous tribal group under the occupation of the Roman Empire. Boudica’s husband, King Prasutagus, had managed to remain allied and in good favour with the Roman administration, but when he died the Roman governor ignored his will (which left his kingdom jointly to Rome and his daughters) and annexed the Iceni lands. On Prasutagus’s death, his subjects also became liable for his debts. Boudica was flogged and her daughters were raped as an example to other tribes, and under Governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus Rome took the Iceni lands and began to enslave the people.
Queen Boudica, her tribe and some other local tribes were outraged, and rebelled against the Romans in the immediate vicinity. At first the Iceni and their allies had great success. They captured the Roman settlement of Camulodunum (now Colchester), killing many and routing the Roman garrison of elements of the IX Legion. Boudica then planned the next stage of the rebellion, raiding and sacking both Londinium (now London) and Verulamium (now St Albans). Governor Suetonius was away fighting other British rebels when he heard of Boudica’s rebellion and he hurried back to eastern Britain. He concluded that he did not have the strength to assault the rebels directly, so he withdrew to what is now the West Midlands. The enraged tribes were successfully rampaging through the captured towns, murdering, raping and pillaging. They even went as far as desecrating Roman cemeteries and burning towns to the ground. All the while Boudica rallied the tribesmen by riding about in her war chariot with her daughters.
Suetonius regrouped in the vicinity of the Roman road Watling Street. He gathered together as many men as he could, mostly from the XIV Legion and a number of auxiliary troops, but his force numbered less than 10,000. Boudica had a massive force, put at 230,000; although that is unlikely (given that the only source for the number is Roman and likely to be exaggerated), the rebel force was still huge. Roman historian Tacitus suggests that Boudica, with her daughters in her chariot, motivated her army by presenting herself not as a wealthy landowner who had been robbed, but as a woman who had been abused, who had witnessed her daughters being raped and who had a just cause. She was set on a victory (the name Boudica is thought to derive from the Celtic word for victory) and moved into the West Midlands for a final conflict.
The Romans had the better ground, were well disciplined and well equipped, and in the final battle the Iceni and their allies rushed on, crashing into the solid Roman force. The fight was brutal, but the Romans had the upper hand and slaughtered the tribesmen. Tacitus reported that 80,000 Britons died while only 400 Roman infantry were killed. Boudica and her daughters, seeing their army defeated, reportedly poisoned themselves, and while a lavish burial is hinted at from other sources, no record of her grave exists.
The times when Boudica lived were violent and treacherous, and atrocities were committed by both sides during and before the rebellion. However, Boudica is a notable female leader because she rose to lead in a time of great conflict. She successfully motivated her tribe and others to fight and die against an invading and imperial force. Had she been successful it may have prompted Nero (the then Roman Emperor) to abandon Britain, and she may have gone on to rule over an independent country. Boudica motivated others because she fought battles as a true warrior, leading from the front while maintaining a strategic focus. Visible in her chariot, her leadership behaviour was evident to those who followed her. Also she behaved in a courageous manner and was inspirational in her conviction, and the tribespeople followed her loyally.
Challenge: Boudica used frankly horrendous, negative personal experiences as a motivational tool. Although she ultimately failed, how can this type of motivation be applied in the health service? How can failure or insult be used as a force to generate a more positive result? Have you encountered setbacks that only made you want to try harder? Have you been challenged or taken to task by managers or colleagues and been left feeling bullied or belittled? Look back to Chapter 12 for advice about dealing with conflict (in more productive ways than Boudica), where the suggestion is that it is possible for negative personal experiences to be used in positive or productive ways to build stronger networks or better outcomes. This follows the maxim ‘That which does not kill me makes me stronger’. Have you been challenged to come back from a setback? If so, how have you done so and have you achieved this in a way that builds and enhances relationships rather than damages them? Why is a positive (emotionally intelligent) approach likely to be more productive than the path that Boudica took?
