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The Historical Arthur
The story of King Arthur has captivated people for centuries, but is there a grain of truth in the legend? Now before everyone gets all bent out of shape, these are theories that are grounded in research. I am not trying to prove the romanticized versions of the Arthur stories that came from medieval times on into the Victorians. No one is trying to say the Britons were out flying on carpets or any such nonsense. So all I ask is before you dismiss this post out of hand, please read through it. The one of the first references we have to Arthur is in The History of the Britons,…
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Search for the Tomb of Boudicca
After Richard III was found in a parking lot, there has been a bonanza for finding the final resting places of the monarchs of Britain. To round out the series on Boudicca, it seems a natural progression to discuss where her tomb is located. (For more on Boudicca, please see this post: http://www.historynaked.com/boudiccas-revolt/ ) Reports are mixed as to whether Boudicca left the battlefield alive. Roman historian Tacitus said she and her daughters escaped and took poison. Greek historian Cassius Dio recorderded that she died from illness. No matter how she died, Boudicca would have been given a burial befitting her high status. Legend give many places for her possible burial-…
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Boudicca’s Revolt
Things seemed to be going well in Britain after the conquest, for the Romans that is. However, if you were a member of a native tribe, things could be tricky indeed, even if you promised to play ball with the invaders. (For more on the invasion, please see this post: http://www.historynaked.com/claudian-invasion-britain/ ) The king of the Iceni tribe, Prasutagus, had done just that. He had taken over the Iceni after some bumps with a policy of conciliation towards Rome. When he died in 60 CE, he left as his heirs his two daughters as well as Emperor Nero. Prasutagus was hoping this act of submission to Rome would keep his family…
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Claudian Invasion of Britain
The Romans had been lusting after Britain for quite some time. Julius Caesar had made two passes according to Dio Cassius in 55 and 54 BCE, but did not make much headway. The first only established a beachhead, but the second established a king friendly to Rome. However, Caesar had bigger fish to fry and headed back to Rome and glory leaving Britain alone in the mists. Caligula had tried again in 40 CE, and had a lighthouse built in preparation at Gesoriacum, modern Boulogne-sur-Mer. However, according to the tale told by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars, he made less progress than Caesar. According to this story, he had the…
