Iceni

The Iceni were a tribe of British Celts living in the area of modern Norfolk and north-west Suffolk. After the Roman invasion they retained their territory as a client kingdom.

In 47 AD the Iceni rose in revolt after the Romans tried to enforce a law forbidding the carrying of weapons. The revolt was put down and Prasagustas established as a client king.

Prasutagas decided that it would be prudent to make his will assigning half of his personal property to the Roman emperor. When he died in 61 AD the Roman officials decided to interpret his will as a submission to the Roman state, so they moved to appropriate all of the Iceni lands and disarm the tribe.

Not surprisingly, Prasutagas's widow, Boudicca (or Boadicea as she is sometimes known) protested. The Romans had her publicly flogged and her two daughters were raped. This high handed treatment of an ostensible ally had predictable results. In 61 AD Boudicca raised the Iceni and the neighbouring Trinivantes tribe in revolt against Roman rule. (See our article on Boudicca here).

It was only with some difficulty that the Romans managed to quell the Iceni uprising, and Boudicca took her own life rather than fall into the hands of her enemies. The Romans established a new capital in the Iceni lands at Caistor-by-Norwich. No record of the Iceni exists after this point, though legends suggest that large numbers fled west into Wales and eventually settled in Ireland.

A modern reconstruction of an Iceni village is open to the public at Cockley Cley, near Swaffham, Norfolk. Web site.

The known and speculative rulers of the Iceni are as follows:

Prasutagas ? > 61 AD
Boudicca ? > 63 AD

		Iceni The Iceni were among the most powerful Celtic tribes in pre-Roman Britain.

Home > History > Roman > Colonia