Boudicca Source Task PDF

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Source analysis for Boudicca
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Power and Image - Boudicca (48/50) While the concepts of power and image in relation to ancient figures are complex, the motivations behind these representations are typically the most compelling and revealing aspect. Often, ancient figures cultivate depictions of themselves in order to solidify power, legitimise their rule or raise support for a cause. However, after a figure dies, the power over their image is passed on to authors and creators, who are able to selectively draw certain aspects of figures and the events of their lives in order to serve their own purpose, such as political, artistic, and nationalistic agendas. Boudicca, Brittonic Queen of the Iceni Tribe in South-East England, is a compelling example of this relationship between power and image, in relation to the ways certain aspects and events of her life have been manipulated by many groups. Her Revolt against the occupying Roman legions in 60 AD and destruction of the three most important Roman cities in Britain at the time changed the course of history in Roman Britain, as well as having significant impacts on future revolutions and leadership, through serving as a steadfast symbol for the universal symbol of the human desire for freedom and justice, as well as the power of marginalised groups to unite against oppression. During Boudicca’s lifetime, she was successful in the ways she presented her image for the purpose of increasing her power through raising support for her Revolt (as shown in Source 1). While her actions have served as inspiration for countless leaders and movements, her image has also been disparaged in order to serve composers’ agendas, such as justifying the subjugation of the Brittons, praising the Romans, and attempting to prove the weakness of women and natives. These motives are achieved through electing only favourable aspects of Boudicca’s life in order to construct an image of her, including that of a savage native and evil woman (as depicted in Sources 2 and 3), a righteous rebel (Source 4), and a powerful female leader (Sources 5 and 6). An analysis into the ways Boudicca has been represented for different purposes is imperative in understanding the ways in which a character loses their power over their image after their death, while the composer gains this power.

Source 1 Excerpts from Roman History Book LXII written by Cassius Dio.

Created between the years 211-233 AD. Dio. Roman History Book LXII, translated by Earnest Cary, Herbert B. Foster. Lacus Curtius, page 82-104, https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/62*.html. Chapter 2 - … around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of diverse colours over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch. This was her invariable attire. She now grasped a spear to aid her in terrifying all beholders Chapter 4,5 - Let us, therefore, go against them trusting boldly to good fortune. Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves." When she had finished speaking, she employed a species of divination, letting a hare escape from the fold of her dress; and since it ran on what they considered the auspicious side, the whole multitude shouted with pleasure, and Buduica, raising her hand toward heaven, said: "I thank thee, Andraste, and call upon thee as woman speaking to woman… I beg you for victory and preservation of liberty” Chapter 7 - They hung up naked the noblest and most distinguished women and then cut off their breasts and sewed them to their mouths, in order to make the victims appear to be eating them; afterwards they impaled the women on sharp skewers run lengthwise through the entire body. All this they did to the accompaniment of sacrifices, banquets, and wanton behaviour, not only in all their other sacred places, but particularly in the grove of Andate. This was their name for Victory, and they regarded her with most exceptional reverence. This source reveals the ways in which Boudicca presented her image through her appearance and actions, in order to serve the purpose of increasing her power, raising troops, and intimidating the Romans. The account states that she wore the “invariable attire” of jewelry, a torque, and coloured clothing. In Brittonic society, while the tunic and cloak were common dress, the torque was the attire of a highly important and wealthy person, often reserved for men, and may have symbolised a leader’s readiness to sacrifice their life for their tribe. Thus, her wearing of this ornament is highly significant, as it presented her to the Britons as a powerful, important, sacrificial leader and warrior, and, thus, raised support for her Revolt. Additionally, her speech is highly valuable in understanding the way she used religion to employ her power. In Chapter 5, she invokes the Goddess Andraste, the Brittonic goddess of victory and battles, and releases a hare from her cloaks, showing her dedication to religion and divination. Furthermore, it is believed that Boudicca was perceived as the human embodiment of Andraste, thus presenting her as indestructible, heaven-ordained, and ultimately powerful, and having the effect of inspiring support for her Revolt, as well as intimidating the Romans. Lastly, Dio’s account of Boudicca’s attack on Roman cities is graphic and confronting, displaying her brutality and mercilessness, which was significant and effective in promoting her power to her people and supporters, while intimidating the Romans.

Overall, this source is limited in its reliability, as it was written almost 150 years after the event, has little correlation with other sources about Boudicca from the time, and exhibits Dio’s bias toward the Romans, as he is clearly disgusted with Boudicca, a woman’s, pagan rituals and destructive measures. Moreover, it is highly unlikely that the speech attributed to her by Dio is factual. However, the source is one of two primary sources from the time, and has some information that correlates with archaeological and other written sources, and, thus, remains valuable in understanding the events of the Boudiccan Revolt, and the Roman’s response to it.

Source 2 Excerpts from Roman History Book LXII written by Cassius Dio. Created between the years 211-233 AD. Dio. Roman History Book LXII, translated by Earnest Cary, Herbert B. Foster. Lacus Curtius, page 82-104, https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/62*.html. (Page 82) “In stature she 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; and she wore a tunic of divers colours over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch. This was her invariable attire." (Page 94) “Those who were taken captive by the Britons were subjected to every known form of outrage. The worst and most bestial atrocity committed by their captors was the following. They hung up naked the noblest and most distinguished women and then cut off their breasts and sewed them to their mouths, in order to make the victims appear to be eating them; afterwards they impaled the citizens on sharp skewers run lengthwise through the entire body. All this they did to the accompaniment of sacrifices, banquets, and wanton behaviour, not only in all their other sacred places, but particularly in the grove of Andate. This was their name for Victory, and they regarded her with most exceptional reverence.” (Page 82) "Moreover, all this ruin was brought upon the Romans by a woman, a fact which in itself caused them the greatest shame....But the person who was chiefly instrumental in rousing the natives and persuading them to fight the Romans, the person who was thought worthy to be their leader and who directed the conduct of the entire war, was Boudicca, a Briton woman of the royal family and possessed of greater intelligence than often belongs to women" In this source, Dio presents Boudicca as an evil, destructive warrior, and an unkempt and heathen native, and is disapproving of Boudicca's position as a female leader. The image of

Boudicca that he chose to present was an attempt to rationalise the Romans’ subjugation of native people. This source is one of two available primary sources detailing the Boudiccan Revolt. Dio’s recount of the Revolt’s events are permeated with his clear perspective on Boudicca, and the image he chose to present as truth. The book is contentious in regards to reliability due to its creation being almost 150 years after Boudicca’s death, and its suffusion of bias. Throughout the chapters, his prejudice is exemplified. He disapproves of Boudicca’s position of power, appearance, religious practices and behaviour, as she is a woman, and a native at that. According to the Dio, the inability of the Britons to conform to Roman standards were indicative of an uncivilised society, thus justifying the brutality shown towards the Britons. The disgust, surprise and superiority prevalent throughout the chapters presents a fear of female power and autonomy that continuously permeated Roman society, in addition to fear of the ability of Rome’s conquered natives to rebel. His choice to present an image of Boudicca as the amalgamation of that which Rome hated -- powerful women, intelligent and strong natives, and spiritually connected people -- was instrumental in his attempt to justify the total subjugation and destruction of the Britons following the failure of the Boudiccan Revolt.

Source 3 Excerpt from Chapter 6 of “On the Ruin of Britain” written by Gildas. Created around 540 AD. Gildas “On the Ruin of Britain”, Chapter 6. http://www.heroofcamelot.com/docs/Gildas-On-theRuin-of-Britain.pdf “When afterwards they returned to Rome, for want of pay, as is said, and had no suspicion of an approaching rebellion, that deceitful lioness (Boadicea) put to death the rulers who had been left among them, to unfold more fully and to confirm the enterprises of the Romans. When the report of these things reached the senate, and they with a speedy army made haste to take vengeance on the crafty foxes, as they called them, there was no bold navy on the sea to fight bravely for the country; by land there was no marshalled army, no right wing of battle, nor other preparation for resistance; but their backs were their shields against their vanquishers, and they presented their necks to their swords, whilst chill terror ran through every limb, and they stretched out their hands to be bound, like women; so that it has become a proverb far and wide, that the Britons are neither brave in war nor faithful in time of peace.” In this source, Gildas presents Boudicca as an evil woman and cowardly savage. This short account of Boudicca’s Revolt is reflective of the little regard and respect he had for documenting the history of women and native peoples. This ensures Boudicca is presented as insignificant

and cowardly, thus disparaging her image through his power over her as the creator of her image. This limited statement about the Boudiccan Revolt focuses on its shortcomings, presenting the Revolt’s events as trivial and petty skirmishes, selectively choosing parts of the event. He consistently presents the Britons as unprepared and cowardly, stating that they did not have an army, nor navy, and, in the end, they submitted to the Roman legions, “presenting their hands to be bound, like women”. This statement is highly indicative of Gildas’ beliefs about the inferiority of women and Britons, and thus, is indicative of his disagreement with the Boudiccan Revolt. In addition to this, his claim that there is a proverb of Britons being “neither brave in war nor faithful in time of peace” is highly representative of his opinion on the Boudiccan Revolt, as he clearly believes in the inferiority of the Britons, and that their Revolt was baseless, as their treatment under the Romans (according to Gildas) was justified and reasonable. Overall, it is clear that Gildas presents Boudicca as a “deceitful” and evil woman, for the purpose of disparaging her image, and justifying Rome’s oppression of women, the Britons and other natives.

Source 4 Excerpts from “The Annals” written by Publius Cornelius Tacitus. Created around 109 AD. Tacitus. The Annals, translated by John Jackson. Lacus Curtius, Chapter 29-38, http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Tacitus/Annals/14B*.html. (Chapter 31) The Icenian king Prasutagus, celebrated for his long prosperity, had named the emperor his heir, together with his two daughters; an act of deference which he thought would place his kingdom and household beyond the risk of injury. The result was contrary — so much so that his kingdom was pillaged by centurions, his household by slaves; as though they had been prizes of war. As a beginning, his wife Boudicca was subjected to the lash and his daughters violated: all the chief men of the Icenians were stripped of their family estates, and the relatives of the king were treated as slaves. (Chapter 31) The bitterest animosity was felt against the veterans; who, fresh from their settlement in the colony of Camulodunum, were acting as though they had received a free gift of the entire country, driving the natives from their homes, ejecting them from their lands, — they styled them "captives" and "slaves," — and abetted in their fury by the troops, with their similar mode of life and their hopes of equal indulgence.

(Chapter 35) Boudicca, in a chariot, with her two daughters before her, drove through the ranks. She harangued the different nations in their turn: “Now I am not fighting for my kingdom and wealth. I am fighting as an ordinary person for my lost freedom, my bruised body, tortured by the lash, and my outraged daughters. From the pride and arrogance of the Romans nothing is sacred; all are subject to violation; the old endure the scourge, and the virgins are deflowered. But the vindictive gods are now at hand.” In this source, Tacitus presents Boudicca as a righteous rebel, justly fighting against the oppressive rule that was Roman occupation in Britain. Throughout Tacitus’ career, he wrote about Roman corruption and scandals, while retaining his Roman loyalty. Thus, his representation of Boudicca is carefully created to both respect her rising and record it accurately, while presenting Rome as being all-powerful due to defeating a highly formidable opponent. This source is one of two available primary sources detailing the Boudiccan Revolt, but is the more academically respected source of the two. There are some issues with the source’s reliability, as the sources used by Tacitus are unknown, he wrote it decades after the event, and there are instances of bias. However, it is still a valuable measure of understanding the attitudes about Boudicca at the time it was written. Throughout the account, Tacitus uses a factual tone, which allows him to present the events of the Revolt, whilst remaining loyal to Rome. He presents the reason for the rising as a result of poor Roman rule, and not at the fault of the Roman senate. However, he is honest in recording the animosity toward the Romans by the Britons, thus proving that he is able to empathise with Boudicca’s cause, and respect her as a leader. In addition to this, in the speeches he attributes to Boudicca, he is honest about the brutality of the Romans in Britain, while maintaining that they do not represent all of Rome. Thus, Tacitus’ account of Boudicca is a strong example of the power an author has over a figure, in order to serve a purpose.

Source 5 The sculpture “Boadicea and Her Daughters” created by Thomas Thornycroft in 1902. Shuttershock. 2016. Boadicea And Her Daughters. Image. https://www.livescience.com/37061boudicca.html. Under the rule of Queen Victoria in the 19th century, the eminence of

Boudicca’s Revolt had a large resurgence. Representations of Boudicca were often used to legitimise Victoria’s rule, through proving the power of female leaders through the story of the Boudiccan Revolt. The statue is useful for an understanding of the representation of Boudicca in the time of Queen Victoria’s rule of Britain, through demonstrating the ability of authors to manipulate the image of their subjects for the purpose of raising support for a leader or movement. The image of Boudicca that was favoured in this time was that of a nationalistic, powerful, and British Queen and mother. She was both a symbol of British nationalism, as well as a powerful female leader, and was seen as Victoria’s namesake, as “Boudicca” is believed to mean “victory”. The main issues associated with this statue involve its representation of Boudicca. As stated, the image of Boudicca as a powerful Queen, avenging her daughters’ violation was favoured by the creator, as it was these aspects of Boudicca that were accepted and amplified by society at the time. Furthermore, the statue was created in harsh similarity to the quadriga in the Forum of Augustus, and is made in the Greco-Roman theatrical artistic style, depicting Boudicca in Greco-Roman attire, wearing a crown. These ironic aspects are unrealistic of Boudicca’s image during her rule, but allow her to look regal, powerful and warrior-like. Thus, this representation of Boudicca is selective about aspects of the figure and her rule, and shows the power a creator has over a figure, to present a certain image to serve an agenda.

Source 6 Suffrage Banner created by Mary Lowndes in 1908 Lowndes, M., Suffrage Banner, Boadicea: 1908. [image] https://www.museumoflondonprints.com/image/138370/mary-lowndes-suffrage-bannerboadicea-1908 This source details a banner used in the British Women’s Suffrage Movement of the early 20th century. The banner details one of Boudicca’s alternative names, “Boadicea”, surrounded by purple, white and green colouring; the colours representative of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) which were often used in their protesting banners. The meaning of the symbols are unknown. While the Suffragettes often used images of powerful female leaders, such as Joan of Arc, Boudicca had multiple advantages, such as being a mother, and being the first British Queen. The increasingly militant tone of the later stages of the movement allowed for the presentation of

slightly more belligerent female figures in protests. To the Suffragettes, Boudicca was a strong beacon of liberty and bravery. She served as an icon of powerful and competent female leadership and liberation. She was utilised as a symbol of the human desire for freedom and justice, as well as the power of marginalised groups to unite against oppression. The image of Boudicca that was presented by the Suffragettes in order to promote and justify their cause was the amalgamation of selectively chosen qualities; Boudicca’s position as a powerful and valiant leader fighting against oppression, whilst being a woman and of a marginalised group of people. Overall, this source is a strong example of the way certain images or aspects of a subject can be employed in order to serve a purpose; in this case, only favourable aspects of Boudicca were used by the Suffragettes in order to portray the power of female leaders to oppose oppressive forces....