Directory

61 CE

Battle of Watling Street: Paulinus defeats the rebels, using a flying wedge formation, and imposes wide-ranging punishments on native Britons, but is removed from office after an enquiry instituted by Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus (appointed procurator 61) and the Romanisation of Britain continues. Boudica either poisons herself or falls sick and dies. Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman governor of Britain, captures the island of Mona (Anglesey), the last stronghold of the Druids. Prasutagus, king of the Iceni (modern East Anglia), dies leaving a will which passes his kingdom to his two daughters and the Roman Empire. The Roman army however annexes the kingdom as if conquered, depriving the nobles of their hereditary lands and plundering the land. The king's widow, Boudica, is flogged and forced to watch their daughters publicly raped. Roman financiers, including Seneca the Younger, call in their loans.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman governor of Britain, captures the island of Mona (Anglesey), the last stronghold of the Druids.source
  • Publius Petronius Turpilianus and Lucius Caesennius Paetus become Roman consuls.source
  • Galba becomes governor of Hispania Tarraconensis.source

Conflict & Security

  • Boudica leads a rebellion of the Iceni against Roman rule in alliance with the Trinovantes, Cornovii, Durotriges and Celtic Britons. The Iceni and Trinovantes first destroy the Roman capital Camulodunum (Colchester), wipe out the infantry of the Legio IX Hispana (commanded by Quintus Petillius Cerialis) and go on to burn Londinium (London) (probably destroying London Bridge) and Verulamium (St Albans), in all cases massacring the inhabitants in their thousands.source

Culture & Society

  • The following events in Roman Britain (Britannia) take place in AD 60 or 61:source

Births

  • Pliny the Younger, Roman author and statesman (d. c. 113)source

Deaths

  • Battle of Watling Street: Paulinus defeats the rebels, using a flying wedge formation, and imposes wide-ranging punishments on native Britons, but is removed from office after an enquiry instituted by Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus (appointed procurator 61) and the Romanisation of Britain continues. Boudica either poisons herself or falls sick and dies.source
  • Lucius Pedanius Secundus, Roman politician and prefectsource
  • Boudica, British queen of the Iceni tribe (approximate date)source
  • Publius Memmius Regulus, Roman politiciansource
  • Ma Wu, Chinese general of the Eastern Han Dynastysource
  • Barnabas, Cypriot Jew and bishop of Milan (approximate date)source
  • Prasutagus, king of the Iceni (modern East Anglia), dies leaving a will which passes his kingdom to his two daughters and the Roman Empire. The Roman army however annexes the kingdom as if conquered, depriving the nobles of their hereditary lands and plundering the land. The king's widow, Boudica, is flogged and forced to watch their daughters publicly raped. Roman financiers, including Seneca the Younger, call in their loans.source