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BOUDICA
ii

WOM E N I N A N T IQU I T Y
Series Editors: Ronnie Ancona and Sarah B. Pomeroy

This book series provides compact and accessible introductions to the life and
historical times of women from the ancient world. Approaching ancient his-
tory and culture broadly, the series selects figures from the earliest of times to
late antiquity.

Cleopatra
A Biography
Duane W. Roller
Clodia Metelli
The Tribune’s Sister
Marilyn B. Skinner
Galla Placidia
The Last Roman Empress
Hagith Sivan
Arsinoë of Egypt and Macedon
A Royal Life
Elizabeth Donnelly Carney
Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt
Dee L. Clayman
Faustina I and II
Imperial Women of the Golden Age
Barbara M. Levick
Turia
A Roman Woman’s Civil War
Josiah Osgood
Monica
An Ordinary Saint
Gillian Clark
Theodora
Actress, Empress, Saint
David Potter
Hypatia
The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher
Edward Watts
Sabina Augusta
An Imperial Journal
T. Corey Brennan
Boudica
Warrior Woman of Roman Britain
Caitlin C. Gillespie
BOUDICA
WA R R I O R WO M A N
OF ROM A N B R I TA I N

Caitlin C. Gillespie

1
iv

1
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers
the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education
by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University
Press in the UK and certain other countries.

Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press

198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America.

© Oxford University Press 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the
prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted
by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction
rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the
above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the
address above.

You must not circulate this work in any other form

and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.

CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress

ISBN 978–​0–​19–​060907–​8

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
To my parents, Joan and Dennis
vi
 Contents

Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Texts and Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1
1 Britain: The Final Frontier 15
2 Wife, Queen, Roman? 35
3 Family and Freedom 55
4 We Learned These Things from the Romans 69
5 Dux Femina 91
6 I Call Upon You, Andraste 105
7 The Wolf and the Hare 117
Epilogue: Warrior Woman 133

Notes 143
Bibliography 171
Index 189
vi
 Preface

In ad 60/​61, Rome almost lost the province of Britain to a woman.

Boudica, leader of the Iceni, joined with the Trinovantes and other
allies in a swift revolt that reduced three sites to ash, destroyed part of
a Roman legion, and caused the deaths of an untold number of Roman
veterans, families, soldiers, and allied Britons. Fearlessly defending her
daughters and her people, Boudica fomented a rebellion that proved
catastrophic to Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium, but
resulted in the massacre of her own people. In the end, her vision of
freedom was destroyed, and the Iceni never rose again. The Romans
rebuilt their urban centers and continued to expand their empire.
The dramatic story of Boudica’s rebellion attracted the attention of
two ancient authors, Tacitus and Cassius Dio, whose narratives con-
stitute the only ancient literary sources for the existence of Boudica,
and range from a sympathetic portrait of a mother to a fantastic image
of a vengeful, savage barbarian. Their portraits have inspired numer-
ous biographies, histories, novels, plays, film adaptations, children’s
stories, and artistic renderings. Our modern impression is influenced
by Boudica’s extensive afterlife, especially in her adoption as a symbol
of Victory, nationalist icon, and figurehead of resistance. Boudica has
been abstracted into a malleable idea, altered to suit a number of com-
peting contexts.
John Opie’s Boadicea Haranguing the Britons (1793) provides an
example: Boudica stands above her Britons in a white tunic bound at
the waist and a brilliant red cloak, a bright figure in a dark world. In
addition to her feminine garb, she wears a helmet, signifying her mili-
tary role. She protects her daughters with her left hand, raising her right
hand in a manner reminiscent of an ancient orator as she addresses
x

her men. Opie’s Boudica is a symbol of the fight for freedom. She is an
adaptation of Tacitus’s noble mother, her thoughts far from those of the
murderous barbarian presented by Cassius Dio. The artist has manipu-
lated her image in accordance with contemporary artistic trends and
impressions: she belongs in a gallery among his portraits of British aris-
tocrats, not on a first-​century battlefield. Opie’s portrayal might suit his
eighteenth-​century outlook, but it does little to inform us about the real
Boudica.
In this book, I interrogate the ancient evidence in order to elucidate
Boudica’s unique identity. I illustrate her utility in the works of Tacitus
and Dio by showing how these men manipulated Boudica’s story and
character in pursuit of their own literary themes. Tacitus and Dio have
different agendas, and the reader must proceed with caution. Both see
Boudica through Roman eyes: she is a figure of resistance to Roman
cultural norms, whose actions demonstrate an extreme example of the
dangers of putting women in positions of power. However, she has posi-
tive qualities of leadership as well: she has the family, wealth, moral char-
acter, and intellect to garner the respect of her people. Furthermore, she
is aligned with literary models of Republican womanhood as a chaste
mother who condemns luxury and avarice.
This book presents a comparative literary biography of Boudica,
juxtaposing her different characterizations in our ancient authors and
setting her beside other women and rebel leaders. Boudica becomes a
useful screen against which contemporary attitudes toward women in
power play out, and a tool to discuss the role of Britain in the Roman
Empire. Yet the real Boudica remains elusive, her life story punctuated
by moments of high drama, rage, pain, and war. Her response to Roman
rule held up a mirror to Rome, demanding justification for imperialist
policies and poor governance at the end of the Julio-​Claudian era. As
mother, warrior, and leader, Boudica’s unique ability to unify disparate
groups of Britons cemented her place in history. While the historical
Boudica remains tantalizingly out of reach, her literary character still
has more to say.

x Preface
 Acknowledgments

My thanks go to Ronnie Ancona for inviting me to contribute to this

series, and to Ronnie and Sarah Pomeroy for their guidance on my ini-
tial proposal. I have benefited from the scholarship of the other con-
tributors to the Women in Antiquity series, whose works have been
instrumental for my own.
My interest in Boudica was sparked during graduate school at the
University of Pennsylvania and continues to grow thanks to the encour-
agement of friends, family, and peers. I am indebted to a number of col-
leagues for their support in the completion of this project. My deepest
gratitude goes to Cynthia Damon, for setting a standard of intellec-
tual and academic rigor worthy of lifelong emulation. Jen Gerrish and
Nell Mulhern commented on early drafts, and I have been aided by
their erudition and judgment. Colin Gillespie provided welcome edi-
torial advice in the production of the final text. The arguments con-
cerning Boudica’s speeches in Tacitus and Dio developed from a talk
presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Classical Studies, later
revised and published in Classical World. My thanks go to Lee Pearcy
and Robin Mitchell-​Boyask for their editorial expertise and for permis-
sion to recast some of that material here. Special thanks are owed to
Eric Adler, Liz Cottam, Philip Crummy, John Davies, Joseph Farrell,
Lee Fratantuono, Stephen Heyworth, James Ker, Myles Lavan, Marian
Makins, Brian Rose, Julia Wilker, and Emily Wilson, for reading por-
tions of the text, responding to inquiries and specific intellectual issues,
and assisting in the acquisition of images.
At Oxford University Press, Stefan Vranka has been encouraging at
every stage of the process, and I thank him and my anonymous refer-
ees for their considered responses to the manuscript. John Veranes has
xi

been a powerful force in assisting this book on the way to production.

I thank Richa Jobin and the production team for bringing this book to
completion. All errors or inadequacies remain my own.
This book has benefited from the assistance of the Loeb Classical
Library Foundation as well as the Stanwood Cockey Lodge Fund
at Columbia University. A research stay at the Fondation Hardt in
Vandœuvres, Switzerland accelerated the completion of the project.
Final thanks go to my friends and family, who provide constant
sources of artistic and intellectual inspiration. I owe thanks to my sib-
lings, Ian, Colin, Fran, and Chas, who motivate me daily with their
unique excellences, and to the residents of Elizabeth House, who pro-
vided a space for me to write. Danny Moffat has been an eager partner
in my search for Boudica, and his love has sustained me throughout
the journey. This book is dedicated to my parents, Joan and Dennis
Gillespie, my ideal readers.

xii Acknowledgments
 Texts and Abbreviations

This book uses Heubner’s 1994 edition of Tacitus’s Annals, Woodman’s

2014 edition of Tacitus’s Agricola, and Boissevain’s edition of Cassius
Dio’s Roman History (1895–​1969). Other quotations follow the texts
listed in the bibliography or those used by the Packard Humanities
Institute (PHI). Abbreviations used for names of ancient authors and
their works are those of S. A. Hornblower, A. Spawforth, and E. Eidinow,
eds., Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th edition (2012), with a few excep-
tions. Authors and works abbreviated or otherwise cited in the text are
listed below.

I. Greek and Roman Authors and Works

App. Appian
BCiv. Civil Wars
Ath. Athenaeus, Deipnosophists
Aug. Augustus
RGDA Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus)
AWP Hippocratic Corpus, On Airs, Waters, and Places
Caes. Caesar
BGall. Gallic War
Cic. Cicero
Att. Letters to Atticus
Cael. Pro Caelio
Rep. De republica
Fam. Letters to His Friends
Phil. Philippics
QFr. Letters to His Brother Quintus
xvi

Dio Cassius Dio, Roman History

Diod. Sic. Diodorus Siculus, Library of History
Dion. Hal. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities
Hdn. Herodian, History of the Roman Empire
Hdt. Herodotus
Hist. Histories
Hom. Homer
Il. Iliad
Hor. Horace
Carm. Carmina or Odes
Joseph. Josephus
AJ Antiquitates Judaicae
Livy Livy, History of Rome
Per. Periochae
Luc. Lucan, Pharsalia
Mart. Martial, Epigrams
Plin. Pliny the Elder
HN Natural History
Plut. Plutarch
Ant. Life of Antony
Caes. Life of Caesar
Cor. Life of Coriolanus
Mor. Moralia
Pomp. Life of Pompey
Pompon. Pomponius Mela, De chorographia
Prop. Propertius
Carm. Carmina or Elegies
Sen. Seneca the Younger
Apocol. Apocolocyntosis
Clem. De clementia (On clemency)
De ira On anger
Dial. Dialogi
Ep. Epistles
Phaed. Phaedra
Serv. Servius, Commentary on the Aeneid of Vergil
SHA Scriptores Historiae Augustae
Sev. Life of Septimius Severus
Stat. Statius
Silv. Silvae
Strabo Strabo, Geography
Suet. Suetonius
Aug. Life of the Deified Augustus

xiv Texts and Abbreviations

 Calig. Life of Caligula
Claud. Life of the Deified Claudius
Iul. Life of the Deified Julius Caesar
Ner. Life of Nero
Tib. Life of Tiberius
Tit. Life of the Deified Titus
Vesp. Life of the Deified Vespasian
Tab. Sul. Tabulae Sulis
Tac. Tacitus
Agr. Agricola
Ann. Annals
Germ. Germania
Hist. Histories
Val. Max. Valerius Maximus, Memorable Deeds and Sayings
Vell. Pat. Velleius Paterculus, Roman History
Verg. Vergil
Aen. Aeneid

II. Works of Secondary Scholarship

ABC Cottam, E., P. de Jersey, C. Rudd, and J. Sills. 2010. Ancient British Coins.
Chris Rudd: Aylesham.
CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum.
OLD Glare, P. G. W., ed. 1968–​1982. Oxford Latin Dictionary.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
RE 1 Mattingly, H. 1976. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum.
Vol. 1, Augustus to Vitellius. London: British Museum Press.
RIB Roman Inscriptions of Britain.
RIC 1 Sutherland, C. H. V., and R. A. G. Carson, eds. 1984. The Roman
Imperial Coinage. Vol. 1: Augustus–​Vitellius (31 BC–​AD 69).
London: Spink & Son Ltd.
VA Van Arsdell, R. D. 1989. Celtic Coinage of Britain. London: Spink &
Son Ltd.

Texts and Abbreviations xv

xvi
Map 1. The Roman Empire under Nero. © The Ancient World Mapping Center 2003.
xvi

Map 2. Peoples of Britain in the Roman period, based on Ptolemy (after

Mattingly 2006, ­figure 3).
Map 3. Sites important to the Iceni and to the narrative of Boudica’s
rebellion.
x
 Introduction

Boudica, warrior woman of the Iceni, has been celebrated for centu-
ries as the first female freedom fighter in Roman Britain. Her leader-
ship of a revolt in ad 60/​61 resulted in the burning of Camulodunum,
Londinium, and Verulamium (modern Colchester, London, and near
present-​day St Albans, respectively). After this destruction, she spoke
among her troops, her daughters before her, victims of Roman lust. Eyes
glancing fiercely, golden hair cascading down her back, she grasped a
spear and struck awe in all who beheld her as she captivated her audi-
ence and urged them to defeat the greedy tyrant, Rome. Although
her army was quashed in a single battle against the Roman general
Suetonius Paulinus, her legend lived on.
Boudica, whose name is spelled variously in ancient and mod-
ern texts (Boadicea, Boudicca, among others), is derived from a Celtic
word bouda, meaning “victory.”1 Boudica comes closest to an ancient
Celtic spelling.2 The Roman historians Tacitus and Cassius Dio made
her famous, although neither witnessed the rebellion.3 Their opposing
images form a core dichotomy in representations of Boudica. Whereas
Tacitus heightens the glory of the woman warrior and celebrates her
motherhood and noble fight for freedom, Dio’s sensational portrait
highlights her non-​Roman appearance and the brutality of her actions.
Tacitus’s and Dio’s texts have been supplemented by an increasing
number of archaeological discoveries that allow us to fill in some of the
details about Boudica’s life and times. But many questions remain. The
depictions of Boudica in Tacitus and Dio, and the archaeological evi-
dence of early Roman Britain, give varying impressions of Boudica as a
powerful woman of late Iron Age and early Roman Britain. Given such
2

contrasting impressions, how do we understand Boudica as a historical

figure? Should we see her as a barbarian woman, the ultimate “other” in
the Roman imagination? Should we compare her to other rebels, sym-
bols of freedom and the opposition to tyranny? Was she a prophetess,
similar to the Druids? Or should we imagine her as a model mother,
caring for her daughters above all?
In order to appreciate Boudica’s central place in the history of
Roman Britain, we must canvas her various identities. At different
stages of their accounts, the ancient authors describe Boudica as a wife,
mother, queen, warrior, rebel, or religious figure, connecting her to
other such figures throughout the history of the Roman Empire. As
such, she has a particular narrative utility in the histories of Tacitus and
Dio. In this book, I aim to elucidate each of Boudica’s roles by draw-
ing together literary and material evidence for women in the domestic,
political, and military spheres in late Iron Age and early Roman Britain.
The importance of her characterization and her actions gains further
prominence when placed beside historical comparisons. Throughout
this work, comparative sketches are drawn between Boudica and others
who garnered the interest of the ancient historians as positive or nega-
tive moral models. Veleda, another prophetess, was revered as almost
divine; Caratacus and Calgacus, other rebels in Britain, are glorified
for their devotion to freedom; additionally, several Roman leaders pro-
vide inspiration for the characterization of Boudica, from the noble
Brutus to the courageous Cloelia of Livy’s history. Antimodels include
Cartimandua, queen of the Brigantes in Britain, the immoral wives
of Claudius, Messalina and Agrippina the Younger, and the emperor
Nero, who preferred the lyre to the sword. Through comparing Boudica
to these other figures, a fuller portrait of the Icenian woman and her
place in historiography emerges.
While Tacitus’s Boudica represents Roman Republican values
of motherhood and freedom, and demonstrates how the Romans
encroached upon native independence, Dio utilizes Boudica to exam-
ine the place of women in leadership positions and to condemn the neg-
ative models among the imperial family. In the Roman imperial system,
there was no room for institutionalized power for women—​no place for
an empress with a shared role in ruling the Empire. Boudica allowed
Roman historians to explore a culture with a different gender ideology
than their own and to illustrate the consequences of such an ideology.4
Historical comparisons allow us insight into which aspects of Boudica

2 Introduction
individuate her and which traits characterize her as a stereotypical
female barbarian, as seen through Roman eyes. While many details of
Boudica’s life may never be resolved, comparisons better equip readers
to understand her importance in the ancient texts.
The majority of modern scholarship has focused on establishing
the details of Boudica’s revolt, but it often fails to critique thoroughly
the literary accounts or to analyze archaeological evidence with equal
rigor.5 Several authors have addressed the differences in Tacitus and
Dio, interrogating these texts for authorial bias, or examining the ways
in which Boudica narratives represent ancient perceptions of women
in power and views on the position of Britain in the Roman Empire.6
Archaeologists have considered the material relating to Boudica in
order to describe the lifestyles of the Iceni as moneyers and crafts
people living in proto-​cities and farming settlements, and to suggest
ways in which the Roman Empire impacted local identities.7 Material
evidence allows us to flesh out our perception of women and family life
in Roman Britain without imposing a Romano-​centric view.8 Reception
studies, especially that of Hingley and Unwin, have outlined how
Boudica’s image has been manipulated throughout history, providing a
warning to readers about how modern representations unfailingly alter
our understanding of the historical figure and the events in which she
was involved.
Despite her immediate impact on the Romano-​British landscape
and her everlasting fame as a rebel, literary accounts of Boudica are
sparse. Those who study Boudica are faced with a lack of contemporary
literary accounts, as well as biases in the sources that remain. A brief
background to Tacitus and Dio, their styles, and historical contexts
assists in guiding readers toward a critical perspective of the liter-
ary evidence for early Roman Britain, as presented through a Roman
lens. These ancient authors may have used the same original sources
for their narratives, including a possible memoir of the Roman gover-
nor, Suetonius Paulinus, as well as the eyewitness account of Tacitus’s
father-​in-​law, Agricola, and the narratives of other historians of the
time, including Cluvius Rufus, Fabius Rusticus, and Pliny the Elder.9
However, differences in their narratives suggest that, even if the two
men had access to the same works, they prioritized them differently.10
Some have argued Dio did not read Tacitus at all for his account.11
Gaius (or Publius) Cornelius Tacitus was born in ad 56/​57 to an
equestrian family in Gallia Narbonensis (modern Provence in southern

Introduction 3
4

France). He was celebrated for his oratorical skill and received senatorial
status under the emperor Vespasian.12 He proceeded to climb the cursus
honorum (sequence of offices), holding the positions of quaestor, trib-
une of the plebs or aedile, and praetor. During the reign of Domitian,
he was a member of the quindecimviri sacris faciundis, a college of fif-
teen men tasked with sacred duties. Tacitus married the daughter of
Julius Agricola and was abroad when his father-​in-​law died in ad 93,
although he does not say where.13 He gained the consulship in ad 97.
His early works include a dialogue on oratory, an ethnographic study
of the Germanic peoples, and a biography of Agricola, all published
around ad 98. He then wrote a history of the period after the death
of Nero, published around ad 107, and the Annals of Imperial Rome,
a history from the death of Augustus in ad 14 to the death of Nero in
ad 68.14
Tacitus recounts the revolt of Boudica in both the Agricola and the
Annals. The Agricola, a biography of Tacitus’s father-​in-​law, challenges
ancient concepts of this literary form by including sections that read
more like an ethnography, history, encomium, funeral laudation, or
apologia.15 Within the Agricola, Boudica’s revolt is part of the histor-
ical background of the Roman presence in Britain prior to Agricola’s
governorship. Agricola served in Britain under the governor Suetonius
Paulinus from ad 58–​61, during the time of Boudica’s revolt, and was
likely an eyewitness. The rebellion brought Agricola experience, whet-
ting his appetite for further military glory.16 Boudica’s literary character
is comparable to those of the rebels Caratacus and Calgacus, and her
actions serve as an exposition to the theme of freedom versus servi-
tude that runs throughout the text. Agricola later became governor of
Britain in ad 77 and served for seven years. He annexed the territory
of the Brigantes and pursued further conquest to the north against the
army of Calgacus. According to Tacitus, his military success was bal-
anced by his honest governorship. He was considered kind toward the
local populations, and he promoted their adoption of Roman cultural
practices. However, Tacitus represents Roman interventions in native
cultures as a form of servitude, leading readers to question the aims and
results of imperial expansion, as observed and promoted by Agricola
himself.17 Agricola gained triumphal honors for his defeat of Calgacus
at the battle of Mons Graupius in ad 83 but was recalled to Rome before
he completely subdued the northern peoples.18 He failed to receive

4 Introduction
further appointments and died from a mysterious illness. He may have
been poisoned on orders from Domitian.19
In the Annals, Boudica’s revolt is the centerpiece of book 14, a book
framed by the emperor Nero’s murder of his mother, Agrippina the
Younger, and his murder of his wife and stepsister, Octavia. Within
this context, Boudica emerges as a strong, exemplary mother, who acts
in defense of her daughters’ lost chastity (pudicitia). Her opponent in
Britain, the governor Suetonius Paulinus, is in a contest for glory with
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, a successful general in Armenia.20 Boudica
is an integral figure in Tacitus’s representation of the failures of Nero
and his mismanagement of provincial rule, as well as his presentation
of powerful women of the early empire.
Our second literary source appears a century after Tacitus. Lucius
Cassius Dio was a native of Bithynia and relative of the orator Dio
Chrysostom.21 Like Tacitus, he was an imperial senator from the prov-
inces. He was born to a Roman senator, Cassius Apronianus, in the
middle of the second century ad, and came to Rome after his father’s
death. He was in Rome by the time of Commodus’s accession in ad
180.22 After witnessing the cruelty of the emperor Commodus and the
contested rule after his death, Dio attained the office of praetor under
Septimius Severus, who brought with him an era of hope and renewal.23
Dio enjoyed a prestigious career and held various political offices dur-
ing the Severan dynasty, serving as consul twice, as proconsul of Africa,
and as governor of Dalmatia and Upper Pannonia, before retiring to
his native Nicaea.24 His account of Boudica is within his eighty-​book
Roman History, now fragmentary, which began with Aeneas and ended
with Dio’s second consulship in ad 229. Boudica appears in the epitome
of book 62, compiled by Xiphilinus, an eleventh-​century monk living
in Constantinople.25
Writing almost a century and a half after Boudica’s revolt, Dio has
a different perspective from her nearer contemporaries, and he uses
Boudica to reflect upon politics in Rome under a tyrannical emperor,
as well as the politics of empire on the whole. Within his history, Dio
tells of Nero and Domitian, despots also known to Tacitus, as well as
Commodus and Caracalla, drawing out a lineage of cruel failures of
dynastic succession. In Dio’s lifetime, Britain was once again a site
where imperial power was contested. The emperor Septimius Severus
died in Britain in ad 211, where he was campaigning for the continued
expansion of the empire.

Introduction 5
6

In reading Tacitus and Dio, it is useful to keep in mind several

interlocking ideas of the purpose of history and the task of the histo-
rian, as defined by the ancient sources. According to Tacitus, history
is intended to be both pleasurable and useful.26 However, ancient texts
demonstrate that authors disagreed on the prioritization of each. The
historian is responsible for recording events factually, but he must
choose which version (or versions) to include, how to use sources,
and what additional information or background is necessary to com-
plete the picture of a given historical moment. Historians may create
memorable characters, models of particular virtues or vices, provide
practical advice (such as battle strategy), and include observations
on human nature. Scenes should be memorable, crafted with force
and vividness through interweaving description, narration, and dis-
course. Tacitus notes the exemplary nature of history and suggests
that history can have a moral function as well as a political one: nota-
ble individuals illustrate conduct worthy of imitation or avoidance,
and the lessons of history can make readers better Romans.27 He
observes that the task of the historian is to commemorate good deeds
and virtuous behavior, but also to include perverse words and actions
so as to create a deterrent.28 As Luce has argued, Tacitus does not
advocate simplifying history into a set of positive and negative moral
models for a general audience, nor does he suggest that easy labels of
virtues and vices may be attached to his characters. His portrait of
Boudica connects to his theory of exemplarity in history, challeng-
ing the reader to analyze her character for both positive and negative
attributes. She also provides a counterpoint to his portraits of the
leading men and women of Rome. Such characterizations allow read-
ers to intuit Tacitus’s negative view toward the principate, the form of
rule by an emperor that began with Augustus: his message is prima-
rily directed toward an audience of the elite senatorial class, for the
principate brought with it a lack of libertas, the senatorial freedom
vital to maintaining a balanced political climate.29 This was espe-
cially true under emperors like Nero. The elderly Nerva, who ruled
from ad 96–​98, was the first to combine libertas (freedom) and the
principate, allowing Tacitus to speak.30
Dio did not suffer from the same fear regarding his freedom of
speech, nor does he make any concrete statement concerning the func-
tion and nature of exempla (role models) or declare that his aim is to
write an exemplary history. However, he clearly evaluates his characters,

6 Introduction
especially senators and emperors, as well as the women associated
with them, thus providing role models for his senatorial readership.31
Augustus is his model leader, who established the paradigm for his
Severan present.32
Audience and style must be considered when comparing our histo-
rians’ accounts of Boudica. Tacitus acknowledges that some of his inclu-
sions may seem trivial or insignificant, but he suggests that seemingly
inglorious moments give rise to great events.33 His work is characterized
by variation in syntax, conciseness of expression, and an ambiguity that
allows for multiple interpretations.34 Dio, on the other hand, argues that
anecdotes and details should give way to larger aspects and the sig-
nificance of events.35 His style seems modeled primarily on that of the
fifth-​century bc Greek historian, Thucydides, although this does not
necessarily extend to his political views.36 As a rhetorician, Dio tends
to adorn or modify facts so as to create a more dramatic presentation.
His details can be scanty or impressionistic, and neither he nor Tacitus
is very precise on battle formations or attack strategy, including those
of Boudica.
Recent scholarship on Roman imperialism has centered on the
ways in which Roman historians denigrate non-​ Romans, whether
consciously or unconsciously. Boudica was an obstacle to the contin-
ued Roman expansion into Britain, and so her literary portrait must
be scrutinized for Roman stereotypes that cloud our view of historical
events.37 Neither Dio nor Tacitus was a contemporary of Boudica, nor
did they ever go to Britain; thus, their images of Boudica must be at
least partially conjectural. Both use Boudica as an emblem of barbarian
otherness, with attributes commonly used by Roman authors who pre-
suppose that non-​Romans are by nature inferior and in need of Roman
rule.38 Her narrative reflects an assumption that all peoples of Britain
operate similarly and have the same laws, rituals, and power structures,
an assumption readily disproven on closer examination. Boudica is
the “other” to the Roman “self” in these texts: she allows historians
to hold a mirror to their own society, to compare the customs, values,
and characters of others to themselves, to consider what it means to be
Roman, to reveal the power dynamics of Rome and perhaps to critique
these dynamics as well as the failing morality of Roman society.39
Boudica’s method of warfare, rituals, family values, and views on
luxury and freedom all reflect on Roman practices and the power of
the imperial family, leading to conclusions on what separates the “self”

Introduction 7
8

from the “other” and what draws them together. This is especially true
in the speeches Boudica gives before her troops. Tacitus and Dio use the
speeches of foreigners, including Boudica, to comment upon Roman
imperialism and society, particularly in the realms of morality and
justice.40 Boudica’s speeches echo those of many freedom fighters, as
she condemns the avarice and moral inferiority of the Romans.41 Her
speeches provide an opportunity for each author to give insight into the
politics, power, and the position of women in the early empire, as well
as in their contemporary worlds.
Whatever the gaps in the literary sources, coins and other archaeo-
logical material provide evidence for the rebellion and its impact on the
landscape of southeast Britain.42 Material evidence of late Iron Age and
early Roman Britain continues to divulge new information about the
experiences of real women of Boudica’s time, including female leaders
and warriors, providing insight into family life, wealth and status, reli-
gious practices, and concerns with death and memorialization among
the Iceni and neighboring peoples.43 While numismatic evidence adver-
tises power relationships and possible dynasties, torcs (a type of metal
band worn around the neck) and other ornamentation provide indi-
ces of wealth and status. A compact level of burnt debris known as the
Boudican destruction layer confirms the devastation or partial devasta-
tion of Camulodunum and Londinium, two sites attacked by Boudica’s
army; material from within, above, and below this deposit allows us
a glimpse into the development of these towns and the lives of their
inhabitants before and after the revolt. A composite analysis of visual
and literary evidence allows us to understand the revolt as a reaction
against cultural shifts already in motion at the end of the Iron Age.44
Both literary and archaeological sources point toward broader issues
inherent in the clash between Roman and native cultures. Evidence of
the development of towns, trade, and networks of power disrupt liter-
ary claims concerning the uncivilized state of those the Romans wished
to conquer. Boudica cannot be studied in isolation from the history
of Romans in Britain and the continued expansion after Claudius’s
invasion in ad 43. The impact of the Romans on native populations
depended on a number of factors, especially location. Boudica attacked
three sites central to Roman control.
Analyzing the relationship between Rome and Britain in the time of
Boudica is rife with difficulties. The literary evidence is one-​sided—​there

8 Introduction
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 Geordie and the Sick Dog.
an english story.

It was Saturday afternoon, and had been longed for all the week
by little Geordie, as he was called, for he was a very little fellow.
Geordie had built himself a boat, and had promised to give it a fine
sail in a pond, not a great way from the house in which he lived,
called the fen ditch.
So away he went, before he had quite eaten his dinner, with his
boat in one hand, and the remains of a slice of bread and butter in
the other; for his mother was a poor woman, and Geordie did not get
meat every day, and never on a Saturday.
But his cheeks were rosy, and his eye was bright, and his ringlets
laughed in the wind as he ran along, looking at his boat with eyes of
delight all the way, and every now and then taking a huge mouthful,
and then stopping for breath, for fear the dry crumbs should be
blown down his chest.
There was a beautiful breeze, as he called it,—for he called
everything beautiful that pleased him. He had a beautiful piece of
bread and butter; and a beautiful knife; and a beautiful pair of shoes,
—only his toes peeped through them.
He had a kind, cheerful, and tender heart, and so everything
appeared beautiful to him, and few things had the power to make
him discontented or peevish; but, just as Geordie got over the
Warren hills, which led to the place of his destination, he saw Harry
Dyke, the groom at the great house of Lady Clover, coming over the
swale, as it was called, with several of the boys of the village
dancing about him, apparently in great delight.
 When he came nearer, he found that Harry was carrying, wrapped
up in a piece of an old sack, a little dog, which Geordie recognised
as being one which he had before seen, with its two fore paws
leaning over the ledge of the sash-pane in Lady Clover’s carriage,
when she drove through the village.
One of the boys had got a couple of brick-bats, and a long piece
of cord, and seemed very officious. He called out to Harry, “Harry, let
me throw him in, will you?—there’s a good fellow. But wo’n’t you give
him a knock on the head,—just one knock to dozzle him?”
“Why, they are going to drown that little pet-dog, that us children
used to say, lived a great deal better than we did; and, when I have
been very hungry, I have often wished I was Lady Clover’s lap-dog,
for I heard say that she sometimes gave it rump-steak for its dinner,
with oyster-sauce.” So thought little Geordie to himself; he did not,
however, say anything.
“O! here is little Geordie,” said one of the boys. “Geordie, Geordie,
come and have some sport!—we are going to drown a dog in the
ditch.”
“What are you going to drown it for?” said Geordie.
“O! to have some fun, I suppose. No, it is not that; it is because
my lady can’t bear the nasty thing—it has got the mange, or some
disorder. There;—do not touch it. Don’t you smell it?”
The poor little dog looked at Geordie, and struggled to get out of
the sacking, and gave a whine, as if it would be glad to get away
from its enemies.
“Lay down, you beast,” said Harry, and gave it a severe blow on
the head; “lay down; I’ll soon settle your business.”
By this time they had come to the fen brook, and the dog was
placed on the ground, and taken from the sack-cloth in which it was
wrapped. It was a deplorable looking creature, and its hair was off in
several places; it yelped wofully as it looked around, while the boys
began to prepare the noose and the brick-bats.
 “O! do not drown him,” said Geordie; “pray, do not drown him.
What are you going to drown him for?”
“Why, because he is sick, and ill, and dirty. He is no good to any
one,” said Harry. “My lady used to be very fond of him; but now, he
looks such an object, she says he is to be destroyed.”
“Give him to me,” said Geordie; “I’ll have him, and keep him till he
gets well—he shall have half my dinner every day. Here, little dog,
have this piece of bread and butter.”
“Go away, and leave the dog alone,” said the boy who had the
cord; “you are not going to spoil our sport. Get out of the way with
you.” And so he drew near, and fastened the cord to the dog’s neck.
“O! do give him to me! Pray don’t drown him,” said Geordie; “pray
do not. O! do give him to me; I will make him well—indeed I will. Do
let me have him?—there’s a good Harry Dyke,” and the tears came
into Geordie’s eyes.
“Go along, Mr. Dog Doctor,” said Harry; “go along, Mr. Cry Baby.”
“Here, Harry, I’ll give you my boat for the little dog—it is a beautiful
boat; here, put it into the water instead of the dog—do, do, do;” and
so Geordie thrust the boat into Harry’s hand, and, without waiting to
settle the bargain, laid hold of the dog.
“Leave go of him,” said the boy with the cord and the brick-bats,
“leave go, I tell you; if you do not, it shall be the worse for you. Leave
go, or”——
“Ay, you may rap my knuckles,” said Geordie, “I do not mind that.
—​Harry Dyke, Harry Dyke, am I not to have the dog, and you have
the boat?” said he, struggling.
“O! I do not care about it,” said Harry; “take him, if you will have
him; the boat will do for my brother Tom, and I wish you joy of the
bargain.”
The other boys hearing this, were much disconcerted; and would,
no doubt, have molested Geordie still further, but the little fellow no
sooner heard Harry’s tacit consent, than he immediately set off at full
speed, with the dog under his arm, in the direction of home.
 When he reached his home he was quite out of breath, and his
mother was fearful something had happened to him. “Why, Geordie,
Geordie, what is the matter with you; and what have you got under
your arm?”
Geordie laid down the dog, and the sight of the poor creature,
whose looks told the state of disease in which it was, made the good
woman quite afraid to have it in the house; and, without hearing
anything of the circumstances connected with the poor animal, or
giving Geordie time to explain, she declared it should not set foot in
the house, and drove Geordie and his purchase out of it together;
telling the latter to take it from whence it came, and that the house
was not to be converted into a hospital for sick dogs.
Geordie was more disconsolate than ever; he went into the fields,
with the dog under his arm: now be laid it down, and patted it; then
he talked to it, and, in his childish manner, tried to comfort it. The
poor creature looked up to Geordie, and wagged its tail, and seemed
quite glad to find somebody could feel for it.
“Ay, that is the way of these ladyfolks,” thought Geordie to himself;
“they like their pets, and fondle them enough while they look pretty
and frisk about, and play about; but, when they get sick, and ill, or
old, then they hang and drown them. I wonder what makes them do
it.”
What to do with the dog Geordie knew not. At last, however, he
bethought himself that he would take him up into a little loft, over a
small stable which his father had, and there make him a bed with
some nice hay, and try and make him better.
So he mounted the ladder, and got into the loft. He soon made the
poor thing a bed, and then he thought he would get him something to
eat; but Geordie had no money. He had, however, a good many
marbles, for Geordie was a capital hand at ring-taw; and so he took
his marble-bag, and went into the green, where several boys were
playing, and very soon sold his marbles. They produced four-pence,
for there were more than fifty, at sixteen a penny.
 He then bought some dog’s-meat at the butcher’s, and a
halfpenny worth of milk, and a halfpenny worth of sulphur, to mix with
the milk; for somebody once said, in his hearing, that sulphur and
milk were good physic for dogs.
He then washed the animal, and fed him; and what with washing,
and physicing, and comforting, in a few days the poor dog regained
his strength; in a few days more he regained his coat; and it was not
many days more before he was as well as ever.
Geordie then ventured to bring him in to his father and mother;
who, seeing the animal quite changed in appearance, and a lively,
handsome, little dog, and not very old, were quite pleased with him;
and no less pleased with their son’s conduct, when it was all
explained to them.
Some weeks after this, Lady Clover came through the village, in
her carriage, as usual, and was astonished to behold her little dog
sitting, with his fore paws out of Geordie’s mother’s parlor window,
just as he used to sit out in her ladyship’s carriage.
Lady Clover alighted, and went towards the house. The dog
immediately began to bark, nor would the soft tones of the lady’s
voice by any means pacify him. In a few minutes she learned the
whole of her former pet’s history, and wished to have him again.
“She would give Geordie a crown for him,” she said; but Geordie
would not sell his dog.
“No, I thank you, my lady.” “Bow-wow, wow,” said the little dog.
“He might be sick again, my lady, and then he would be drowned, my
lady.” “Bow-wow, wow—bow-wow, wow.”
“Keep the plaguesome creature quiet,” said her ladyship, “and
hear me.”—“Bow-wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow,” said the little
dog.
Her ladyship could not obtain a hearing, and left the cottage in
high displeasure. “I would not sell him for his weight in gold,” said
Geordie,—“not to Lady Clover.”
It was some years after this that Geordie grew almost a man, and
Chloe, for that was the dog’s name, grew old; Geordie’s father had
prospered in life; and, from being a poor cottager, had become a
respectable farmer.
One night he returned from market with a considerable sum of
money, arising from the sale of his crops, the principal part of which
he had to pay away to his landlord in a few days.
Some evil-disposed fellows had obtained a knowledge of this
money being in the house, and determined to break into and rob it—
perhaps also to murder those who might oppose them.
It was a very dark night, and all were sound asleep, when Black
Bill, and two companions, approached on tip-toe, to make an
entrance in the back premises.
By means of a centre-bit they had soon cut a panel out of the
wash-house door; they then entered the kitchen without making the
least noise. Black Bill had a large carving-knife in one hand, and a
dark lantern in the other, and, supposing the money to be in the bed-
room, was mounting the stairs, to take it at any hazard.
The stairs creaked with the weight of the robber, and in a moment
Chloe aroused the whole house with her barking—her shrill voice
was heard in every room. In a moment Geordie was up, and his
father’s blunderbuss at his shoulder.
“Speak, or I will fire!” said he. No answer,—but a scampering
through the passage. Geordie followed—he heard the robbers
making their escape; he fired—the robber fell.
Lights were procured. It was found that the fellow was only slightly
wounded in the leg, which prevented his running away. In the
morning it was discovered who the robber was—it was the very boy,
now grown a man, who had the cord and the brick-bats!
Chloe did not live long after this, but died of sheer old age; not,
however, you see, till she had amply repaid the kindness which had
been bestowed upon her by Geordie.—​Learn from this, my little
readers, a lesson of humanity!
 The Sable-Hunter.

CHAPTER V.
A dissertation upon going on foot.—​A fearful adventure with wolves.

Having taken leave of their Tungusian friends, the travellers

proceeded on their journey, hoping, before many days, to reach
Yakootsk—a large town on the Lena, and the great fur market of
eastern Siberia. Here they intended to stay a few days, and then
proceed down the Lena, in pursuit of game. Alexis expected also to
find a letter there, from his sister, which was to be sent by the mail,
and which would, of course, travel faster than the pedestrian party.
Incited, therefore, by several motives, the adventurers pressed
cheerily forward upon their journey. But it was now October, and the
ground was covered with snow. Every day, indeed, more or less
snow fell, and the hunters found their progress much impeded by it.
But in travelling, as in almost everything else, practice makes
perfect. A man who is well trained to walking, can travel farther in a
month than a horse; and as the power of going from place to place,
without being dependent on horses, railroads, or even money, is a
great thing, I advise all young persons—particularly young men—to
learn to perform journeys on foot. The best way to travel over a
country, is to go as a pedestrian. You can then stop and see the
people along the road, and thus get acquainted with their manners
and customs; their ways of living, acting and thinking.
Some of the pleasantest passages in my own life, occurred when
I was journeying on foot; and they are perhaps more delightful in my
recollection, that I had then a good, sound pair of legs—and now,
alas! one of them is replaced by a “timber toe!” If I had time, I could
relate many little incidents, to show that a traveller on foot is ever
welcomed to the hut, the log-cabin, or the farm-house, along the
road; and that his stories, his news, or even his company, are
esteemed good pay for his lodging and his fare.
But I must proceed with my story of the sable-hunter—or I shall
never get through with it. When I began, I expected to despatch it in
two or three chapters; but the journey, as well as old Linsk’s tongue,
is much longer than I expected.
For some time after the party started, Alexis found his feet sore
and his limbs weary, at night—and more than once, he felt homesick
and discouraged. But he was a youth of much energy of character,
and he felt the importance of making a great effort in behalf of his
father and sister, upon whose happiness the whole power of his soul
was now concentrated. Beside these motives to effort, Linsk took
pains to enliven the spirits of his party, by putting a cheerful face
upon things, and by telling his tales, of which he seemed as full as a
hive is of bees. And there was this difference between Linsk’s
tongue and the little honey-makers—that while they grow torpid as
the cold weather comes on, his organ of speech seemed to wag all
the faster for it. A flurry of snow was usually a prelude to a story, and
a real storm seldom failed to bring out something interesting. Alexis
remarked that the tale was always lively in proportion as the day was
dark, or the journey tedious; and Linsk seemed, indeed, as ready to
attack blue-devils with a joke, as he was to send a bullet after a bear.
I note these things with some particularity, because I conceive that
cheerfulness is a great virtue, and that it is of infinite importance in
those passages of life which seem to demand of us patient
endurance and protracted effort. Cheerfulness is the best of all
stimulants, and I advise my young friends to lay in a good stock of it.
It produces two excellent effects—it makes a person agreeable to
himself and to others!
As I have said, the weather was now stormy, and the country
through which the hunters were passing, was to the last degree
dreary and desolate. It was generally level, or slightly undulating,
and nearly destitute of vegetation. Occasionally they came to
extensive forests, consisting of low pines and cedars, and
sometimes there was a deep ravine, where the fir trees grew to a
considerable height, and so matted together as hardly to admit the
light between them.
One gloomy afternoon, as the party were winding their way
through a forest, which covered a range of broken hills and ridges,
the younger portion had gone before, leaving Linsk a little in the rear.
Turning an angle in the road, they lost sight of him, and went on for
several minutes, forgetting that he was not with them. By and by,
they heard a sharp whistle, and then a rifle-shot, and then a call, that
made the sullen woods echo, as if filled with twenty voices. They
instantly looked around, and seeing that Linsk was not with them,
turned back, and ran with all their might, knowing that something
must have happened, to cause so loud and urgent a summons.
Turning the angle in the road, and pushing on for about a dozen
rods, they came upon a scene which amazed and alarmed them.
There stood old Linsk, battling for life, in the midst of a pack of
wolves. One of the beasts lay dead at his feet; but another had hold
of his leg, and a huge fellow, nearly as tall as the old hunter himself,
was laying his paws upon him, and threatening to seize him by the
throat.
The coolness of Linsk was admirable. He waited his opportunity,
and then stretching himself to the full height, he brought down his
powerful arm, and striking his dagger in the side of the wolf, laid him
prostrate in an instant. He then bestowed a kick upon the rude fellow
that had hold of his leg, and hitting him by the side of the head,
made him roll over and over in the snow. Linsk fell upon him, but the
creature, being only stunned, got up, and was about to run away,
when the old hunter, now more furious than the wolves themselves,
seized him by the tail, and whirling him round and round, sought to
dash out his brains upon the frozen earth. The animal seemed
amazed and frightened, and set up such a hideous howl, that all the
rest of the pack took to flight; and even the beast upon which Linsk
had fastened, slipped through his fingers and fled for life. Happening
to take the direction of the young men, now coming up and near at
hand, he came pretty near Alexis, who levelled his rifle and shot him
through the head.
 “Well done!” cried Linsk, clapping his hands; “well done, Alexis!—
you’re a true hunter, after all! Whew! I am all out of breath. Bravo,
boys! It’s the first bit of fun I have had since we set out! St. Nicholas!
that fellow has stuck his forks into my calf, as if I was a piece of pork
—the beast! and I suppose he expected to make a supper of me. I
guess he’d found me the toughest bit of meat he ever undertook to
carve. The knave!—to think of attacking an old fellow, all alone, while
his companions had deserted him. The fool! to expect that an old
hunter wouldn’t give, as well as take. However, he’s got his last
supper; a bullet in the stomach is hard of digestion, and so he’s
finished. Poor fellow—I can’t help liking a wolf, after all!”
While Linsk was uttering this last observation, Alexis came up,
and although he was curious to know why his old friend could have
an affection for an animal that had just threatened his life, and
actually thrust his fangs into his flesh, he did not attempt now to
inquire into the subject. The hunter was, indeed, in too great a state
of excitement for any deliberate conversation. He went on, with one
exclamation after another, describing, by snatches, the attack of the
wolves, and his own feats in the fray.
After spending some time on the spot, and taking a view of the
several animals that had been slain, they proceeded on their way.
Linsk was greatly excited by the adventure, and, having talked about
it for some time, began to tell of other scenes of the kind, in which, at
various times, he had been engaged. Some of these tales were
worth repeating, and if I can remember them long enough, they shall
appear in the next chapter.
(To be continued.)
 The Tongue.

Every child has in his mouth a thing to talk with, called the
tongue. This is made to tell the truth with. When the tongue tells a
lie, it does that which is very wrong.
The tongue is made to say kind and pleasant things to our friends.
When it says a saucy thing to anybody, it is a naughty tongue.
When the tongue says a disobedient word to a father or mother, it
is a wicked tongue. When it says an unkind word to a brother or
sister, it is a very bad tongue indeed.
When the tongue swears, it does that which God has expressly
forbidden.
When the tongue speaks dirty words, it is a vile tongue. What little
boy or girl would like to carry about such a tongue in his mouth?
Now, my young reader, let me ask you a few questions. What sort
of a tongue have you? Does it always speak the truth? Does that
tongue of yours ever say saucy words?
Does your tongue ever say any disobedient words to your
parents? Does it ever say any unkind words to a brother or a sister?
Does it ever swear? Does it ever utter any bad words?
O, my little friend, if your tongue ever does anything wrong, what
shall be done? Can you tell me how to correct an evil tongue? I can
tell you. Let every child take good care of his tongue, and see that it
never behaves ill.
 What is Selfishness?

There was once a dog and a cat sitting by a kitchen door, when
the cook came out and threw several pieces of meat to them.
They both sprung to get it, but the dog was the strongest, and so
he drove the cat away, and ate all the meat himself. This was
selfishness; by which I mean, that the dog cared only for himself.
The cat wanted the meat as much as he did; but he was the
strongest, and so he took it all.
But was this wrong? No,—because the dog knew no better. The
dog has no idea of God, or of that beautiful golden rule of conduct,
which requires us to do to others as we would have them do to us.
Dr. Watts says,—
“Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For ’tis their nature too.”
But children have a different nature, and a different rule of
conduct. Instead of biting and fighting, they are required to be kind
and gentle to one another, and to all mankind.
Instead of being selfish, like the dog, they are commanded to be
just and charitable, by which I mean, that they should always give to
others what is their due, and also give to others, if they can, what
they stand in need of.
If a child snatches from another what is not his, he is selfish, and
very wicked. If a child tries in any way to get what belongs to
another, he is selfish, and is as bad as a thief or a robber.
Selfishness is caring only for one’s self. It is a very bad thing, and
every child should avoid it. A selfish person is never good, or happy,
or beloved.
How miserable should we all be, if every person was to care only
for himself! Suppose children and grown-up people, were all to be as
selfish as cats and dogs. What constant fighting there would be
among them!
How dreadful would it be to see brothers and sisters snarling at
each other, and pulling each other’s hair, and quarrelling about their
food and their playthings! We ought to be thankful that God has
given us a higher nature than that of beasts, and enabled us to see
and feel the duty of being kind and affectionate to one another.
And as we can see and feel this duty, we ought to be very careful
always to observe it.

A Thought.—There are one thousand million people in the world.

Each individual has a heart, and that heart beats about seventy
times a minute. By means of this beating of the heart, the blood is
sent over the body, and life is sustained. How great must that Being
be, who can keep one thousand millions of hearts beating seventy
times every minute—thus sending the blood through the veins and
arteries of one thousand millions of people!
 WINTER.
music composed for merry’s museum, by
g. j. webb.

’Tis winter; ’tis winter; the morning is gray:

A cold looking sky is above us to-day;
And see, where the hilltops are naked and brown,
The pretty white snowflakes come quietly down.

They come in their beauty, like spirits of light,

And wrap the chilled earth with a mantle of white:
Beneath it the daisies are sheltered and warm,
And safe from the blasts of the pitiless storm.

And soon, when the sunbeams of summer shall come,

They’ll start up anew from their snow-covered home:
They’ll spread their green leaves over valley and plain,
And catch the bright dews in their blossoms again.
MERRY’S MUSEUM.
VOLUME II.—No. 6.
 Sketches of the Manners, Customs, and History
of the Indians of America.

CHAPTER X.
Second attempt against Chili.—​Valdivia reaches Mapocho.—​Founds
the city of St. Jago.—​Temper of the natives.—​Terrible battle.
—​Sends to Peru for help.—​Officers taken.—​Their treacherous
escape.—​Valdivia Perseveres.—​Final success and
arrangements.

The next who attempted the conquest of Chili, was Pedro de

Valdivia, a Spanish adventurer, and, like all the others, eager to
distinguish himself, and to gain a fortune. However, he was not so
cruel and avaricious as many of the adventurers. He determined to
establish a permanent settlement in Chili. He began his march in the
year 1540, with 200 Spaniards, and a numerous body of Peruvian
auxiliaries; he had also some monks, several women, and a great
number of European quadrupeds, with everything requisite for a
colony.
He pursued the same route as Almagro, but, as it was in the
summer, he passed the Andes without trouble, and entered Copiapo.
But he found a cool reception, though it was warm weather. The
people had learned the fate of Peru, and were determined not to
allow their country to be plundered by the Spaniards, if they could
help it.
They, of course, began to attack Valdivia, on all sides; but still the
Spaniards made good their way, and reached the province of
Mapocho, now called St. Jago. This lies about 600 miles distant from
the confines of Peru. It was a beautiful country, pleasant and fertile,
and had such a large population, that its name was interpreted to
signify “the land of many people.” It lies upon the mountains of the
Andes, and is 140 miles in circumference. The mountains in the
north part abounded with gold, and in the east were rich mines of
silver.
Valdivia admired the country, and determined to possess it. He
accordingly began his settlement, by founding a city, which he
named St. Jago, in honor of that apostle. At that time, Christians
really believed that God was well pleased with having his followers
conquer the heathen; and the most cruel and wicked of the Spanish
adventurers always made a parade of their religion, or rather, their
superstitions.
Valdivia went on, for a time, very successfully with building his
city; but the natives were forming plans to destroy him. These he
suspected, and seized and confined a number of their chiefs. Still, he
was not at ease, and, wishing to watch their movements, he took
sixty horse, and went out to scour the country. The Mapochians in
the vicinity, who were watching for such an opportunity, immediately
fell upon the colony with terrible fury, burned the half-built houses,
and assailed the citadel, where the inhabitants had take a refuge, on
all sides.
The battle began at day-break, and was continued till night; fresh
troops of Indians constantly pouring in to fill the places of those shot
down by the Spaniards. The commander of the fort sent, during the
night, a messenger to Valdivia, who immediately returned. The
Indians were thus attacked on both sides; the musketry and horse
made a terrible slaughter among them; they had no arms but bows
and slings, yet they fought most furiously, till nearly all their army
was destroyed.
Valdivia thus relieved the siege, and rebuilt the city; but, for six
years, the natives were constant in their attacks; they cut off the
Spaniards at every opportunity, destroyed the crops, and, finally,
rendered all the fertile plains around St. Jago uncultivated and
desert; and then retired to the mountains.
The Spanish soldiers had become heartily tired of this fighting life.
A few battles did very well, but to spend year after year in warfare