Battle of Camulodunum Battle of Camulodunum The Battle of Camulodunum, also known as the Massacre of the Ninth Legion, (60 or 61 AD) was the major military victory of the Iceni and their allies over an organised Roman army during the revolt of Boudica against the Roman occupation of Britain. A large vexillation of the "Legio IX Hispana" were destroyed by the rebels. Attempting to relieve the besieged "colonia" of Camulodunum (Colchester, Essex), legionaries of the Legio IX Hispana led by Quintus Petillius Cerialis, were attacked by a horde of British tribes, led by the Iceni. Possibly 80% of the Roman foot-soldiers were
Battle of Camulodunum men. Cerialis set out from his base in Lindum Colonia (Lincoln). From Lindum, it was a distance of at least 110 miles. They may have taken the Roman road to Camulodunum from Durovigtum (Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire), a march of some 75 miles which would have taken three days. However, they arrived too late to relieve the "colonia". The British tribes had gathered a considerable force by the time Cerialis and the Ninth approached Camulodunum. They overwhelmed the detachment in the field and defeated it, routing the Romans. Tacitus says their entire infantry strength was wiped out, with only Cerialis and his