BOA 



tion of the animals tliemfelves, a circumftance that has 

 hitherto involved this matter in obfcurity, and leaves us in 

 confiderable doubt as to the real number of dillintt fpecies 

 already difcovered, and mentioned by thofe travellers. See 

 Constrictor, &c. 



BOACRjE, in Ancient Geography, a place of Italy, on 

 the Aurelian way, in the route from Rome to Artlato, 

 through Etruria and the Maritime Alps. Anton. Itin. 



BOAD, in Gognipky, a town and fort of Hindoltan, in 

 the country of Oriifa, near the Mahanuddy river ; j^ miles 

 S. E. of Sumpulpour, and loo weft of Cattack. N. lat. 

 20^ 40'. E. long. 84° lo'. 



BOADICEA, BouDiciA (Tacitus), or Bunduica 

 (as file is called by Dion), in jindent Brii'i/h Hi/lory, z 

 queen of the Iceni, celebrated for her misfortunes, and for 

 her formidable, though unUiccefsful, refillance to the Roman 

 power in Britain. 



Atthe time wlienthe revolt, of which Boadiceawastheprin- 

 cipal mover, took place, the fouthern part of the idand had 

 tranquilly fubniitted to the government of the Casfars. Al- 

 though fcarccly 18 years had elapfed fmce the invafion of 

 Clauduis, Britain was already confidered an important ac- 

 quifition. Several flouridiing colonies were founded ; nu- 

 merous fettlers blocked from the more diltant provinces of 

 the empire, and the only expedition which employed the 

 legions, was that undertaken againft the fequeftered ifland 

 of Mona, the principal remaining feat of Druidical fuper- 

 ilition. But amidlt; tills feeming fecurity, the oppreflion 

 exerciftd by individuals excited indignation among the 

 natives. The procurator, Catus Decianus, who, in the 

 abfence of the propraetor, poflefled the exclufive adminif- 

 tration of government, behaved with the moll infufferable 

 tyranny; and, according to the confeffion of Tacitus him- 

 felf, the great men of the nation were treated as flaves, and 

 deprived injurioufly of their eftates by this upllart governor. 

 The fear, however, of incuring the imperial refentment, 

 retlrained them from exprefiing their diflatisfaftion other- 

 wife than by murmurs, till the deceafe of Prafutagus, king 

 of the Iceni, brought matters to a crilis. This monarch, 

 by his attachment to the party of the invaders, had merited 

 the title of friend and ally of the Roman people, and by 

 his lall will, had bequeathed his eftates as a joint inheritance 

 between the emperor Nero and his two daughters. His 

 policy, if intended as fuch, failed of the defired effcit. The 

 procurator, under pretence of carr\-ing the teftament into 

 execution, feized on all the pofTeffions of Prafutagus with- 

 out exception ; and as Boadicea dared to murmur againft 

 fuch flagrant injuftice, he aAually caufed herfelf to be pub- 

 licly fcourged as a flave, and the challity of her daughters 

 to be violated by his officers. 



Such outrages were beyond fuflferance. The Iceni to a 

 man rofe up in arms, headed by Boadicca in perfon, who to a 

 mafculine Ipirit joined a gift of natural eloquence calculated 

 to inflame the paffions of a barbarous multitude. The 

 Trinobantcs, and other neighbouring nations, alike incenfed 

 at the extortions of the procurator, followed the example, 

 and an army of 1 20,000 iflanders being rapidly formed, 

 marched diretlly againft Camalodunum, (luppofed to have 

 been Maldon,) tlie ntarefl Rom^.n colony. As Decianus 

 could only fpare a tew foldiers to aflift trie inhabitants in its 

 defence, the place was alinoft inilantly ftormed, and, v>'ith 

 a temple lately erected to the divinity of Claudius Csefar, 

 reduced to aflies, all witliin it being previoufly mafTacred. 

 The ninth legion, which had ventured to take the field 

 againft the infurgents, was next attacked and defeated. 

 The infantry were almoft totally deftroyed. The com- 

 mander, Petilius Cerealis, at the head of his cavalyy, with 



7 



BOA 



difficulty regained his camp, where he carefully intrenched 

 himfelf; while Catus Decianus, terrified at the confequcnces 

 of his infamous conducl, made his elcape into Gaul, covered 

 with univerfal odium. 



After fuch a feries of ill-fortune, the only hope of the 

 Romans remained vefted m the propraetor Suetonius Pauli- 

 nus, at this time occu led in exterminating the Druids of 

 Mona. On receiving news of the progrefs made by Boadi- 

 cca, he immediately marched, though by a dangerous route, 

 and through the midft of an hoftlle country, to Augufta 

 (London), already a confiderable place, though not yet 

 dignified with the name of a colony. As he judged this 

 poft untenable, he retired to unite his fcattered forces, ac- 

 companied by fuch of the inhnbitants as chofe to follow his 

 fortunes; but the women and children, the old and infirm, 

 who were left behind, without any other proteftion than 

 their fex, their age, or their fituation afforded, were indif. 

 criminately facrificcd to the fury of the Britons. Vcrula- 

 mium, another colony, fliared the fame fate. All foreigners 

 were every where put to the fword, and the cruelties, faid 

 by Dion to have been exercifed upon fome of the fufferers, 

 are fliocking beyond defcription. 



The rebellion had now attained its iitmoft height. Three 

 Roman ftations laid in afhes, and the blood profufely poured 

 of 70,000 of her pcrfecutors, had amply revenged the wrongs 

 of Boadicca. The whole eailern part of the ifland was in 

 poflclTion of her partizans, and her forces in arms had iu- 

 creafed to the amazing number of 2 :;o,000, when Suetonius, 

 having taken every mealure prudence could fuggcft in his 

 circumftances, prepared to check this torrent in its courfes 

 The^proprxtor, although accuied, and perhaps with juftice, 

 of pride and exceflive cruelty, yet pofTeffed the moft fplendid 

 military talents. During the laft reign he had fignalifed 

 himfelf, when commander in Africa, by a complete victory 

 over the rebellious Mauritanians. Nero rewarded his bravery 

 by naming him to the government of Britain. The late re- 

 duction of Mona had increafed his celebrity ; and he appears 

 to have been the only general then in the empire, Corbiilo 

 probably excepted, equal to the taflc of reducing the infur- 

 rettion raifed by Boadicea. His fituation was, however, ex- 

 tremely critical. It was in vain that he difpatchcd inftruc- 

 tions to Pasnius Pofthumus, who commanded the fecond le- 

 gion, to march to his affiftance. Psenius, in confequence of 

 lome difference with his general, or aftuated by a fecret jea- 

 loufy, refufed to move, in dircft difobedieuce to orders. 

 Thus Suetonius law his whole force reduced to the four- 

 teenth legion, Gemina, and the Vexillarii of the twentieth, 

 which, added to a tew auxiliary cohorts, only amounted to 

 about 10,000 men. With this army, fmall as it was, he de- 

 termined on hazarding a battle, and therefore waited the ap- 

 proach of the Britons on a narrow fpot of ground, opening 

 in his front into an extenfive plain, while his rear was pro- 

 tected by a thick wood. According to the ufual difpofition 

 obfcrved by the Roman armies, the legionaries were ftationed 

 in the centre. Hanked by the liglit armed and auxiliary co- 

 horts ; the wir.gs being compofed of cavalry. Suetonius did 

 not tarry long in expedtation of the enemy. The Britons 

 loon appeared, covering the plain in immenfe numbers. 

 Tlieir wives and children, who had accompanied them to be- 

 come fpedtators of a viftory already confidered as certain, 

 were mounted in heaps on waggons, encircling the field in 

 their rear, like an amphitheatre. Boadicea, with her two 

 daughters, drove in a chariot along the ranks, encouraging 

 her troops in animated language. She renewed the detail of 

 Roman injuftice ; befought vengeance for the wrongs 

 fuftained by herfelf and her family ; magnified the importance 

 ot the viftory the had already gained, and alTi.red her fol- 

 lowers 



