Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was a Roman Governor of Britain. His most famous achievement was defeating Boudica
during her rebellion.
All we know about his early life is that he might have been born in or near Pisaurum (modern Pesaro in Italy), but he must have had some power as he served as Praetor.
In 40 AD, Suetonius was appointed Governor of Mauretania (a Roman Provence in what is modern Morocco). While there, he and Gnaeus Hosidius Geta suppressed a local rebellion (caused when Caligula executed a local lord). In 41 AD Suetonius lead Roman Soldiers across the Atlas Mountains, becoming the first Roman Commander to do so.
In 58 AD, after possibly serving as a Consul, Suetonius Paulinus was once again Governor of a Roman Provence. This time it was Roman Britain. Fir the first two years, everything went well for him. He was continuing the effort to Conquer Wales, and earning a good reputation from it. Two future Governors of Britain served under him in this time.
However, things would not be well for long. In 60 AD, while he was leading an assault on a rebel stronghold in Anglesey (an island in modern-day Wales), The Iceni King Prasutagus died. Soon after somebody (we don't know who, but some claimed Seneca, who supposedly loaned the Iceni 300,000,000 sesterces that they didn't want) gave an order to invade The Iceni Lands, confiscate all their property, flog Boudica, and rape her two daughters.
What followed was a Roaring Rampage of Revenge to end all rampages, where Boudica was elected leader of a massive coalition of British tribes, and first headed to Camulodunum (modern Colchester, and commonly cited candidate for Camelot). The city's defenders asked for reinforcements... and got about 200 auxiliaries. The rebels stormed the city and methodically destroyed the entire place; killing every man, woman, child, and slave in the city before burning it to the ground (a large layer of ash is buried beneath the city even to this day). Other reinforcements (an entire legion, IX "Hispania") were also wiped off the face of the Earth, contributing to the legend of the "Lost Legion".
As soon as he received news of this massacre, Governor Suetonius dropped everything and marched several miles through hostile territory to Londinium (modern London). He reached it before Boudica's Host did, but knew he did not have the men to defend the city. He abandoned it, but not before evacuating as many as its citizens as he could. When Boudica got to Londinium, she massacred every single citizen still remaining inside.
Finally, Governor Suetonius formed up his men to Hold the Line at Watling Street. Though allegedly (most tend to assume this was exaggerated by Roman sources) outnumbered 200 to 1, the Romans formed a wedge-formation, and the Iceni charged directly at them. They threw javelins to kill the first wave and remove any semblance of organization The Iceni had, and after that they let the rest charge directly into their waiting swords. Roman discipline won out, and the Iceni routed. Roman cavalry on the flanks then rode in and slew those trying to flee, who were stalled by the wagons that their families had set up so as to watch the expected victory. Boudica died (either Driven to Suicide by the defeat or falling ill afterwards), and Roman Britain was restored.
After the rebellion was ended, Suetonius (perhaps pissed off over the 70,000 people the rebels killed) launched punitive actions and forced the surviving Iceni to relocate to a Romanized Town and to give up their culture, something his successors would undo.
Before he could finish his campaign, however, Suetonius and the Roman politicians involved were recalled to Rome. Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus, the new Procurator of Britain (Catus Decianus was removed from his office after fleeing to Gaul) was concerned that Suetonius's punitive actions against the Iceni would provoke further hostilities. So Nero's freedman, Polyclitus, found a pretext to remove him from his position (Suetonius lost track of some ships). In Britian he was replaced by Publius Petronius Turpilianus who quickly undid all of the punitive measures he had installed and restored good relations with the natives (including the remaining Iceni) by treating them better. The only reward Suetonius is known to have received is a lead tessera in Rome, seemingly to commemorate his victory.
In 66 AD either Suetonius or his son was elected as Consul.
In 69 AD, in the Year of Four Emperors, he supported Emperor Otho. He took a more cautious approach in this war, but his opinion was overruled and Otho was defeated and ultimately killed. Suetonius avoided being punished for his role in the war by claiming he lost the battle on purpose.
That's the last we hear of him. For all we know he could have lived out his days in peace or been killed later on in some form of political scheme.
Appearances in popular culture:
- In Assassin's Creed, he is a Templar Villain who gets killed by the fictional Assassin Quintus Metus Falco.
- If he is mentioned in a work focusing on Boudica, then it's a safe bet that he is going to get a big Historical Villain Upgrade.
