Boudica's Rebellion Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iceni

The Iceni's territory was located in East Anglia. Boudica was the wife of Prasutagus, king of the Iceni.

Answer: Suetonius Paulinus

The Roman governor in 60-1 AD was Suetonius Paulinus, and it was he who had to deal with the rebellion. Decianus Catus was his financial administrator, Julius Caesar had been dead for quite some time, and Trebellious Maximus is the man who replaced Suetonius.

Answer: Tacitus and Dio Cassius

Herodotus and Xenophon were Greek historians who died long before Boudica's rebellion. Tacitus and Dio Cassius were both Roman historians with different biases; Tacitus was against the Roman imperial system and so portrayed Boudica in a positive light, while Dio Cassius was in favour of the imperial system, meaning that his works tended to play down the oppression faced by the Britons.

Answer: All of these

After Prasutagus died, the Romans did not respect his will, which left half his land to the Roman emperor and half to his daughters. They took over the land, and Boudicca was flogged and her daughters were raped, chiefs were deprived of their hereditary status and the Iceni territory was fully incorported into Roman Britain.

Answer: Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium

I asked for the Roman names of the towns, so while Colchester, London and St. Albans are the modern day names for Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium, you would have been incorrect in answering it. These three cities were burned to the ground by the rebelling Britons, and they killed anybody in their path.

Answer: 4

There were 4 legions under the command of Suetonius Paulinus; the II, the IX, the XIV and the XX (for those who don't know the Roman numerals, the 2nd, 9th, 14th and the 20th).

Answer: IX

The IX legion was located in the north of England at the start of the rebellion, and they were ambushed by the Britons while they were advancing on Colchester. There were some survivors, but most of the legion was wiped out.

Answer: For both of these reasons

Dio Cassius was born in either 163 or 164 AD, just over a century after the rebellion took place. And, that's right, he would make up speeches which he thought the protagonists in the events would be likely to make! To put this into perspective, it would be like a modern historian inventing speeches for, say, Kaiser Wilhelm II or King Edward VII.

Answer: II

The II Legion did not arrive when it was asked by Suetonius Paulinus and the consequences were severe. Rather than facing Suetonius, Poenius Postumus, the chief-of-staff, stabbed himself with his own sword.

Answer: Neither of these: the Romans won

Although the Romans were outnumbered twenty to one, it was their tactics and strict discipline which allowed them to be victorious against the Britons. I hope you enjoyed the quiz!