Boudica, The Pre-Modern Feminist

Throughout history, there have been leaders for various political movements that encompass a large amount of people. Perhaps the largest of which is the struggle for the equality of genders, or as it is commonly referred to, feminism. Many people say feminism started with the suffragette movement for voting equality, but many Britons would tell you that it started with Boudica. Boudica, or as commonly Latinised, Boadicea, was a famous leader of the rebellion of the Celtic people's against the ruling Romans during the middle first century. Boudica was Queen of several Celtic tribes, but when her husband died he left the lands equally to their daughters and the Roman Emperor. It wasn't until the Roman's then annexed the lands and declared them conquered without regard to the King's will, that Boudica stepped in and took control of the lands herself.

A statue of Boudica in Colchester

While the Roman general that was charged with holding the new lands was off conquering Wales, Boudica led the Iceni and several other tribes in revolt and destroyed Camulodunum. This is known as modern day Colchester, which is where I used to live in England. She then moved on to Londinium, modern day London, all the while being perhaps the first female ruler in all of Europe. She faced persecution, japes, demoralization and downright disgust when she rode as a warrior among her male peers.

Despite all of this, she was the only one of the Celtic people who stood up and made her voice heard among the deafening roar of the Roman Empire. The fierce redhead stood strong against the tyranny of the vast Roman Empire, up until her death. When she was captured, the Roman general wanted to perform obscene acts on her as a warning to all other women in the empire that they had no place in a man controlled world. Upon hearing this, she poisoned herself as a message that until her last breath she would defy the path set out for her by her male overlords. A feminist icon in England, many places have statues or entire buildings named after her. Because of this wide recognition, many Britons regard Boudica as one of the most profound and greatest monarchs of Celtic history.