Spartacus vs. Boudica

Two hated enemies of Rome fight it out to see who is the strongest of the two.

Spartacus Vs. Boudica


Spartacus
Spartacus can be called a culthero of both ancient and modern groups. He is the one who fought back, the one who kept on fighting against his oppressors and against all odds. Little is known about his life before he became a gladiator but most people agree now that he was an soldier who came from Thrace. Some scholars suggest that his wife was an seer, but little to nothing is known about his wife and historians now think that she escaped with Spartacus is the revolt.
On his capture, Spartacus trained to be a gladiator near Capua and fought there. In the end, Spartacus planned with several other gladiators an escape. Using kitchen knifes and other tools to break out of the gladiatorschool, they found gladiatior equipment in carts that should be transported. The Gladiators escaped and defeated an small force of soldiers that were send to capture them. They traded their gladiator gear with the better soldiers weapon and started plundering the region, taking all slaves they could find with them.
The army of slaves fought the roman army several times and I suggest that you should read on those battles yourself because they are very fun to read.
With the slave army hunted down in the end, Spartacus made on final stand and fough the Roman army. He probably was killed in the battle because there is nothing written down about him after the battle.  The surviving slaves got crucified.

This is a very short recount of his life and battles. I do suggest you read more yourself becayse it is very interesting. http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/slavesandslavery/a/spartacus.htm

This is a clip with some screenshots of the 2004 movie with a great song to support it.

The weapons and armour
Spartacus had used both military weapons and Gladiator weapon. After thinking carefully, i have decided on giving him an combination of both weapons and the armour that he would have worn as gladiator.

For short range, his weapon will be the Sica. This short curved sword was used by Tharcians and in the Roman arena. In fact, this weapon was so dangerous that the Romans remade their armour to deal with this weapon. It was 16-18 inces long. The sword was only used with  the curve pointing downwards. This made it a weapon usefull for hooking shields and helmets. It also coudl slash with deadly force.

The Sica sword.




For midrange, the choise of weapon will be the Hasta spear. The Hasta is a spear was a thrusting spear used by Roman soldiers untill it was given to gladiators during Republican times. The Hasta was about 6 and an half feet long, with an iron tip and an iron barb on the other side. This last barb could be used as an offensive weapon and as counterbalance.

For long range, Spartacus will attack with the sling. You have all seen the sling on deadliest warrior. This weapon was simply a rope with an small pouch on one end. You insert a stone and with a good accuracy, you can shatter bones and if lucky, kill an opponent. It was a cheap and simple weapon to make and rocks could be picked up all around the battlefield. it is also known that the sling was used by the slave army, against the Romans.

Someone portraing the deadly art of slinging in Roman times.

The last weapon in the arsenal of this roaming gladiator is the dagger. The dagger was used by most armies, including the Roman and several gladiators kept on as a back up weapon in the arena. Knives and daggers were also the first weapon, the gladiators could find when trying to break free and this would have a special meaning for them. The dagger is short, great for upclose thrusting and good for cutting. This weapon would be  a backup weapon for Spartacus and he would only use it if he was unable to use his other weapons.

Lastly the armour. With armour, i have chosen for the Thracian gladiator outfit, the armour Spartacus would be most familiar with. I have chosen this outfit because it is unknown what spartacus would have worn before his time as a gladiator and during the revolt.
The helmet was broad rimmed, had an tall crest with a griffin on it. It also had an visor that protected its face.
He had leather protecting his swordarm, sometimes linen and lastly linen and greaves on his legs that reached untill his knees. Furthermore he had linen to protect his private parts and sandals.
Lastly the shield. The name of his shield was the Parmana. A small circulair or sometimes quadrangular shield made of wood.

This is a picture of a Thracian gladiator. The armour would have been used by Spartacus during his days as gladiator. Note the parmana on his left hand and the sica sword on his right.









X-factor
The x-factor for Spartacus is the fact that he was not going to be pushed around. Forced to fight on a daily scale, he decided to fight his oppressors and showed that you should not mess with Spartacus.

Boudica
This woman was Queen of the Iceni tribe. During the reign of her husband prastagus, he made a deal with Rome and Iceni became an independent ally of Rome. This was very common. When he died, his will said that his kingdom would be given to his daughters and partly the emperor of Rome. His will got ignored by the Romans who acted like they conquererd this kingdom. They flogged Boudica, raped her daughters and demanded a lot of money.
The enraged Boudica put together several Celtic tribes and attacked an settlement of dischard Roman soldier and the then 20-year old London.
Boudica and her army defeated the Romans in several battles, using their massive numbers. In the end, during the last battle, the Celtic army was unable to move good and use their numbers in their advantage, resulting in a crushing defeat of Boudica. Not much is known about her life after this last battle but it is presumed she poisoned herself.
To describe her, I will use a quote of a Roman Historian named Dio.

"...a terrible disaster occurred in Britain. Two cities were sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and of their allies perished, and the island was lost to Rome. Moreover, all this ruin was brought upon the Romans by a woman, a fact which in itself caused them the greatest shame....But the person who was chiefly instrumental in rousing the natives and persuading them to fight the Romans, the person who was thought worthy to be their leader and who directed the conduct of the entire war, was Buduica, a Briton woman of the royal family and possessed of greater intelligence than often belongs to women....In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of divers colours over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch. This was her invariable attire."

Dio, Roman History (LXII.1-2)

Again, I have kept most of the info short and vague to support your urge to research this warrior some more. Every warrior i use in my matches, no matter if they win or lose, deserve your attention and research because they are all great.
For this match up, i have decided not to give Boudica the chariot, simply because i have not been able to find evidence to support that chariots would be used in battle by her. All the info indicate that she used them to transport soldiers and weapons and to let her move around her army quick and speak to her men.
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/boudicca/a/boudiccatacitus.htm

This is a vid of Boudica explaining her life. Very fun to watch.

Weapons and armour
For weapons I have chosen some weapons that Boudica was known for using. Some weapons were known to be used by her army.

As short range weapon, Boudica would wield the Celtic longsword. This longsword had two sharp edges and an point. It had an leaf bladed design and was used with one hand. The Celtic longsword was expensive and would only be worn by the most rich and powerful warriors. As a Queen, Boudica would have used this in battle. The longsword could be decorated with patterns and would be around 27.5 inces.

This is an example of a Celtic longsword and scabberd.








As midrange weapon, Boudica will use the heavy spear. During my research i found several different designs of spears. My guess is that the form of the spear was different with every tribe. The spears do have something in common. They are all leaf shaped, indicating that the form was always the same.  the Spear was mostly 1.8 m long and had an steel tip. Several paintings and statues show Boudica in chariot with spear in hand.

This is an example of how the spear would look like and this one looks most like the spear she carries in all depictions of her.









For long range, Boudica would use the javelin. The javelin was a rather short and light spear, meant to throw at your opponent. It was very effective when used properly and i have found that this weapon would have been used in battles that she lead. Throwing this weapon first, then running into close combat.

The Special weapon of Boudica was the battleaxe. This was a large axe that could be used with one hand hand but also two. The was used because by leaders. This grand weapon should belong to a grand person. Axes were also used by woman who fought. It looked a lot like an axe that was used to cut wood and they would be used to it.

With the armour i can be rather short. As i already have quoted here, Boudica wore no armour. She only had tunic and mantle. She does carry a big wooden shield, covered with leather and an iron boss to protect her in battle.



 An example of the Celtic shield












X-factor.
The X-factor of Boudica is her rage. The rage of her humility by her enemies and the rage to kill all who oppose her and defie her. She has been attacked by Romans and took revenge, everything that stands in her way or attacks her will meet her rage.

The egdes

Sica vs. Celtic longsword
- If you compare the two weapons, you see that one is curved and the other straight. The sica can be used only one way, while the Celtic longsword is more versatile. Also, the Celtic longsword is longer then the Sica, giving Boudica more distance.

- Weapon on armour, it is rather easy. Boudica does not wear any armour and Spartacus does. It is not much armour but it is enough to give some protection. Also the sica can be used to hook away or get past the Celtic shield.
Thus the Sica has a lot places it really can hurt and the longsword only has a few.

- With skill, it is harder. There is nothing to indicate how skilled each warrior was but i can get a very accurate guess. Boudica would have had training with the Celtic sword and would fight herself increasing her skill. Spartacus trained every single day, most of the day with his weapons. This made him a dangerous warrior with the sica.

- In the end, the choise is rather hard. The longsword is the better weapon overall, while the sica would be wielded with more skill by Spartacus and he had no armour to deal with. Both weapons would be very deadly in the hands of the user but in the end, i think that the fact that the sica could only be used one way and the fact that it is shorter is not helpfull in the match. That is why i give a small edge to the Celtic longsword.
Edge: Celtic Longsword

Hasta vs. Celtic spear
- The hasta is an good spear with a very good balance and two dangerous ends while the Celtic spear is longer and barbed.
If i compare the two weapons, i would say that the hasta is slightly better because it has a better weight and can be used more different in combat, Spartacus can attack with the buttend.

- If we would check the spears on armour, again the less armoured Celtic queen has a more disadvantage then the Gladiator. Both warriors were shields and this is were the weight comes into play. If Boudica hits the parmana, it takes a longer recovery time then if the Spartacus hits the Celtic shield.

- Skill, neither spear needs  a lot of skill to be used and both warriors would be able to use the spear with enough skill needed.

- In the end, the fact that the hasa has a counterbalance will be an huge advantage over the Celtic barbed spear. It can be used better to block and if the front end breaks off, the buttend is still a lethal tool. That is why i give my egde to the hasta.
Edge: Hasta

Sling vs. Javelin
- Both weapons are very different. The javelin can only be used once, or if the wielder has more of them, it can be used more times. The sling can be used as long as there are rocks and anyone who uses a sling, would always have some with them. It is interesting to know that both warriors knew the long range weapon of the other and would have had that in their own armies.
Both can be used with only hand hand, letting both warriors able to keep their own shields with the other hand. What matters in this comparison is that the sling would throw the stone with more speed and it is harder to spot. The javelin would be noticed more early.

- Normally, a sling would be hindered because the opponent would wear armour. Boudica does not wear any and has only her shield to defend herself. This would give the sling quick kill blows against the head. The javelin has some advantages here since the unprotected chest of Spartacus would be a good target and harder to miss then an head and has the same killing potential. But the shields are important too since the bigger shield of the Celt can protect her better then the smaller shield of the Gladiator.

- With skill, the sling takes more skill to be used good but i have no doubt that Spartacus had those skill. The javelin takes less skill and Boudica would be able to use the weapon with all skill it needs.

- This was an hard egde to decide because both weapons have pro's and cons. I feel that the sling is slightly better because it is able to use more times and can attack rapidly, making it hard for the Celt to attack herself. This is not a very big egde but the sling can convince me enough that it can deal more damage.
Edge: Sling

Dagger vs. Battleaxe
- Weapon on weapon, the dagger can be used for cutting and stabbing and is very quick. The battleaxe on the other hand is bigger and can be used to defend. The dagger really needs to close the distance to be effective and the only way it can be usefull in a fight between these two weapons is if the battleaxe misses. The battleaxe can kill sooner then the dagger and if it taked out the hand of the user, the dagger cannot be used at all.

- If we would test the weapons against armour, we would see that the dagger would go trough the skin of the Celt without much trouble. No layers of defence, only a shield. This shield will be very important because it can block the attack and push the boss against the hand of the user. This may force him on releasing the dagger. That depends on how hard the boss hits the hand.
The battleaxe has not much trouble. An hit against the helm would hurt the user and the leather armprotector will not be much of a defence. Also the shield is not very big and if Boudica acts correctly, she may be able to avoid the shield.

- Neither weapon needs much skill to be used and both user can use the weapons very good. On this part, both weapons are even.

- If i had to give an egde, what i have to do, my egde is rather clear. The battleaxe is bigger and can give more damage then the dagger. This is not an contest and the winner is also very clear in my mind.
Edge: battleaxe

Fighting back vs. Rage
Both warriors have used their x-factor succesful against the opponents they hate, the Romans. But these egdes are really personal bound and would not be that effective against opponents, they would not have an agrression against. It might be a bit effective because they both would fight back hard against anybody who attacks them. In the end, there is little difference between the two and i really cannot choose. I do know that neither x-factor will play an important part in the battle.
Edge: Even


Ready to Rumble:

The grass felt soft against the sandals Spartacus wore. He had left with his fellow slaves for Brittain a few weeks ago and yesterday, they finally arrived. As the others unpacked and made themselfs ready, Spartacus took some time off to walk around in the area, getting to know it. He was not familiar with this area and had taken his weapons with him just to be shure. His old gladiator armour because he knew this armour the best, his sword, his shield, some stones and his sling in a pouch and lastly his dagger. The dagger was the first thing he had in his hands during the revolt. He always kept it with him to remind himself of the freedom he had aquired and that he always needed to fight for it. From the chariot appeared a woman. Red hair and very big. Spartacus knew that woman could fight and be very dangerous opponents, he was prepared for the worst.

Boudica raced trough the landscape. The horse was fit and the chariot was just repaired. She heard some Roman soldiers had entered her lands and she wanted to know where they were and how much of them. That way, she could think of a strategy to attack those bloody Romans and kick them out of the land.  Her land.
Altough she was merely scouting the area, she did have had her weapons with her. Her longsword was her her side while the battleaxe, the spear and the two javelins lay in the chariot, just as her shield. As the horses got pushed forward by her guidance, she noticed a man, half armoured and walking towards her. 'An enemie' she grunted. As she  stopped, she saw that the man prepared for fighting and as an result, she took her own shield and javelin. Then she stepped out to destroy this opponent. Nobody messes with Boudica.

Spartacus started throwing stones with his sling, forcing Boudica on the defence. All the stones hit the shield of the Celtic Queen but before she could attack back, the ex gladiator had loaded and thrown a stone again.
Spartacus had a lot of stones  in his pouch and saw several on the ground if he ran out of his. As the stones hit the large shield, Boudica saw her chance and threw a javelin. Spartacus saw the weapon coming in and could easily dodge it. Altough the javelin missed, the Iceni queen grabbed her battle axe from her vehicle and blocked another stone with her shield. She then walked towards her opponent.
The Gladiator saw how his stones proved to be ineffective against the shield and now his opponent was walking near, he needed an change of plan. He dropped the his sling and grabbed the hasta from the ground.
He blocked an attack with his hasta and tried to stab his female opponent, without much succes. She avoided an first jab and blocked the second. She then attacked with an slashing attack from the side, the parmana blocked the attack but the axe slipt beneath it and hit the greaves of the male warrior. Spartacus tried to stab again but the big shield blocked the attack and before he could attack again, Boudica hit the hasta spear with her axe and forced the weapon out of the hand of the user and attacked the helm.
Spartacus felt the pain and ringing in his ears as he took a few steps back. He blocked an slash with the axe with his shield and drew his sica. The sword and axe clashed as both weapons attacked again, hitting the shields. Spartacus waited for an attack from Boudica, that came soon. Instead of blocking, he stepped to the side and hooked the axe away with his curved weapon. As the female warrior let go of the weapon, she drew her longsword and blocked another attack with her shield. She then tried to hit the other warrior with her sword, only to see that the weapon hit the small shield. They both gave each other an angry look and Spartacus attacked again. The shield went in front of the female warrior and Spartacus used that to hook the shield and pulled the shield and the warrior towards him. She quickly let go of the shield and blocked another attack with her sword.
As she knew the way her opponent attacked, she parried another another attack, close to the crossguard and pushed the weapon away and slashed the big man in the chest. He was just able to step away and recieved a minor cut on his chest. Spartacus blocked another swordslash with his shield and used his curved weapon to slash at her. The curved blade ripped the tunic half open and as Boudica attacked again, Spartacus blocked the attack with his shield and gave with the elbow of the same arm an hit in the stumach of the woman. He then punched her with his shield in the face She cried in pain and stepped backwards a few times, heading for the chariot.
Spartacus walked towards her and he slashed again. Boudica ducked away and the sica hooked the side of the chariot. The plan of Boudica had worked and before the man could unhook his sword again, she slashed downwards with her blade. Spartacus was forced to let go of the weapon and jumped backwards as Boudica tried to stab her opponent. Another slash from Boudica and her longsword got blocked by the small shield and before she could move, Spartacus slammed his fist against her swordhand, forcing her to let go of the sword. He then slammed his fist in her face, breaking her nose.
Boudica fell on the ground and Spartacus droppes his shield, wanting to use both fists to finish he fight. As he came close to her, she appeared again, holding a spear. Spartacus cursed inwards because of the fact that he had dropped his shield had to step backwards to avoid an attack that teared his side. It was an nasty wound and Spartacus feared the worst. Boudica was happy with this turn of events and stabbed again only to see the attack miss. Spartacus walked backwards, with one hand holding the wound. As Boudica followed him, the former slave dropped to one knee. Before the red  headed female could get into range, Spartacus rose again. He had quickly picked up his sling and a rock. As Boudica neared, he let go of the stone and it hit the head cheek of the female. The inpact was not enough to kill but Spartacus could step past the spear, his dagger in hand and stabbed his opponent with a lowhand stab in the ribs.
Spartacus pulled the dagger out and Boudica fell to her knees. The spear falling out of her hand. My people, she thought. After that, she landed facedown in the grass.

Winner: Spartacus

There are two reasons why Spartacus would win in my opinion. Those two were almost evenly matched but the two reasons that made Spartacus win are:
 1. the fact that he trained day in and day out with all his weapons making him better trained then in the arts of war then his opponent.
2. Spartacus wore armour. It was not much armour and nothing compared to the more armoured warriors but  a bit armour is better then no armour altogether. This was an great advantage of Spartacus.

As i said before, the battle would be very close and the weapons in the arsenal of Spartacus that would give the most kills would be his Sica sword and hasta spear. He trained a lot with such weapons and know how to use it to his greatest advantage.
The most kills of Boudica would be her longsword and battle axe, two weapons to be reckond with, but i fear that is just not enough to deafeat this strong opponent.

Next match up will be between the Egyptian Faraoh Ramses II, famous for the battle of Kadesh and Xerxes I, Ruler of Persia and attacker of ancient Greece. This will be a battle between warriors and their chariots.