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The Boudican Revolt Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz on the Boudican Revolt against the Romans. Shouldn't be too hard if you know the subject, and I hope you enjoy it.

A multiple-choice quiz by Seillean. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Seillean

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
334,383

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
313

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Iceni lands to which Boudica belonged comprised what is now East Anglia. Which tribes did they share borders with? Hint

Atrebates, Brigantes & Cornovii

Cornovii, Catuvellauni & Trinovantes

Catuvellauni, Trinovantes & Corieltauvi

Silures, Dubonni & Atrebates

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The initial "invasions" of Julius Caesar to Britain took place in 55BC and 54BC. The Britons then lived in relative peace until the Claudian invasion of which year? Hint

AD 50

AD 63

AD 43

AD 45

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Question 3 of 10

3. Boudica married and had two daughters with a King of the Iceni. Tacitus tells us he lived something of a charmed life, but what was this ruler's name? Hint

Commulus

Caractacus

Prasutagus

Cunobelin

4. Boudica has been known in many guises, her name having a multitude of variations but whether you know her as "Boudica", "Boudicca", "Bonduca" or "Boadicea" the root of these names remain the same; the ancient Celtic word "Bouda". The meaning of her name leads to her association with a much later monarch but, just what does it mean? Hint

Congratulations

Victory

Equality

Death

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Question 5 of 10

5. During the Boudican Revolt of AD 60/61 the Iron Age queen and her "barbarian" army lay waste to three Romanised towns. Today, these towns are known as Colchester, London and St. Albans but what were they known as in Ancient Britain? Hint

Londinium, Verconium & Dumnonia

Demetae, Verulamium & Londinium

Durnovaria, Londinum & Camulodunum

Camulodunum, Londinum & Verulamium

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. In his writings Tacitus claims that Boudica took poison after her final defeat in battle but this claim has never been substantiated as her body has never been recovered. Why would Tacitus choose this particular end for this British heroine? Hint

Poison would have been seen as a particularly feminine death to a Roman audience

You're talking rubbish- Tacitus never mentions Boudica's cause of death

What are you talking about? Boudica DID take poison!

Poison was the most popular method of killing someone (including yourself) at that time

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Question 7 of 10

7. Boudica's revolt is well-known but before her rebellion she had a predecessor who ran a largely successful resistance campaign against the Romans until his eventual defeat and capture. Who was he? Hint

Prasutagus of the Iceni

Togodumnos of the Catuvellauni

Cartumandua of the Brigantes

Caractacus of the Catuvellauni

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. We know that Boudica managed to sack three Romano-British towns, largely because the main bulk of the Roman legions were still in what is now Wales after their attack on the Isle of Mona. In other words they were too far away to offer any form of defence. However, although the exact location of Boudica's final defeat is unknown we do know the man who finally put a stop to her rebellion. What was this governor's name? Hint

Catus Decianus

Gaius Suetonius Paulinus

Gaius Julianus Alpinus Classicianus

Poenius Postumus

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Boudica's name means "victory" so it is appropriate that in support of her uprising she appealed to one of the ancient British goddesses of victory, but which one was it? Hint

Scathach

Andraste

Badb Catha

Aife

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Question 10 of 10

10. Going by Tacitus' version of events we know that Boudica had two daughters and that they were raped by Roman soldiers at the same time as Boudica was being flogged. Rape is an outrage in itself but why would this instance be an especial outrage to an ancient Celtic community? Hint

It is possible that the Roman's intended to kill both daughters but in Rome it was illegal to kill virgins so rape was considered a method of overcoming this "obstacle"

The taking of a woman's virginity removed a magical power that virgin women possessed, thus preventing the possibility of them becoming priestesses in the future if they chose

All of these reasons

The girls were of royal British blood, to rape them was an insult to the whole hierarchy system of the tribes

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Iceni lands to which Boudica belonged comprised what is now East Anglia. Which tribes did they share borders with?

Answer: Catuvellauni, Trinovantes & Corieltauvi

Of these three tribes, the Catuvellauni were the only only to offer any real resistance to the Roman invasion - initially under Cassivelau during Caesar's invasion of 54 BC, then notably under Cassivelaunu's descendant, Caractacus.

2. The initial "invasions" of Julius Caesar to Britain took place in 55BC and 54BC. The Britons then lived in relative peace until the Claudian invasion of which year?

Answer: AD 43

In AD 43 the Emperor Claudius badly needed to prove his worth to a very sceptical senate. The Atrebate King Verica had pleaded help from Rome after being ousted from his lands, thus giving Claudius the perfect excuse to invade Britain in an attempt to bring order to these savage barbarians - perhaps even using the same forces assembled for Caligula's botched attempt three years earlier.

3. Boudica married and had two daughters with a King of the Iceni. Tacitus tells us he lived something of a charmed life, but what was this ruler's name?

Answer: Prasutagus

This native Briton king was a client king of Rome and was allowed the relative independence of his own rule without overt interference. Unfortunately, the long and peaceful reign of his kingdom was thrown into utter chaos upon his death when the Romans refused to acknowledge the legality of his will which left his lands and wealth split between the Emperor Nero and his two daughters.

Answer: Victory

"Bouda" does indeed mean "victory". The interesting thing is no one actually knows what this Iron Age queen was really called. It is entirely possible that she was not called Boudica at all but her later comparisons with Queen Victoria was certainly reinforced by this connection.

Answer: Camulodunum, Londinum & Verulamium

Yes, Boudica and her army originally burnt down the administrative capital of Colchester, looting the town and destroying the vast temple built by native slaves in such a way that still shocks audiences today. Buoyed by their success, the rebels then sacked the undefended trading town of London before moving on to the purpose-built Roman town that would one day be known as St. Albans.

Answer: Poison would have been seen as a particularly feminine death to a Roman audience

Women had a long-standing link with poison in Roman history and Tacitus' readers would have been well aware of its significance in this story. Cleopatra had ended her life using poison and it was Agrippina's weapon of choice against her enemies: both women were seen as the ultimate examples of why women should never be allowed into positions of power, and this death for Boudica would have reinforced the idea of masculine Roman superiority conquering over these unruly savage women. See, us girls are a devious bunch, after all!

Answer: Caractacus of the Catuvellauni

It was indeed Caractacus! Prasutagus was one of the kings known for submitting to Rome in order to remain on good terms with them. Togodumnos who, according to Cassius Dio, was Caractacus' brother did, in fact, lead the Britons against the Roman force of AD 43 but was killed in the Battle of the Thames. Cartimandua, on the other hand, was actually a client queen of Rome, ruling in the Brigante lands.

She is known for having handed Caractacus over to the Romans when he came to her for asylum.

Answer: Gaius Suetonius Paulinus

Yes it was indeed Paulinus. Catus Decianus was actually the procurator of Brittania (Paulinus' subordinate) who, on hearing of Boudica's impending invasion of Camulodunum, ran away to Gaul after leaving a poor detachment of only two-hundred soldiers to defend the beleaguered town- he was replaced by Classicianus. Postumus, on the other hand, outright refused to join Paulinus' forces against Boudica.

When he heard of Paulinus' victory against the native Britons he committed suicide in his dishonour.

9. Boudica's name means "victory" so it is appropriate that in support of her uprising she appealed to one of the ancient British goddesses of victory, but which one was it?

Answer: Andraste

Andraste was the goddess invoked by Boudica. Both Scathach and Aife (also spelled Aoife) were in fact Scottish, inhabiting the Isle of Skye (to which Scathach gives her name) where they trained many of the legendary Celtic warriors. After her death Scathach came to be the goddess of the battle dead, ferrying the souls of those killed in battle into the afterlife. Badb Catha, on the other hand, was an Irish deity, again a goddess of battle - she flew around the battlefield as a crow and she could also fight among the warriors on the ground causing chaos and confusion, thus affecting the outcome as she willed.

Answer: All of these reasons

All of these reasons would have made the incident a double insult to the British tribal community.

Source: Author Seillean

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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