Caetrati
The Caetrati were a type of light infantry in ancient Iberia who often fought as skirmishers. They were armed with a caetra shield, swords, and javelins.
History
Iberian warriors had been fighting as mercenaries throughout Europe since the 5th century BC, with their ferocity in battle and their fighting skills making them very good additions to any ancient army. The Carthaginian general Hannibal made excellent use of them during his campaigns against Rome during the Second Punic War; when the Romans defeated Carthage and conquered its colonies in Hispania, they soon began to expand their borders in the region; it took them 200 years to fully conquer and pacify the region. These warriors fought vigorously against the Romans, especially under the leadership of Viriathus the Lusitanian and his guerrilla tactics that the Romans had never seen before. Being agile by nature, and wearing almost no armour at all, these warriors were extremely mobile and would use hit-and-run tactics to harass the enemy and break their formations.Equipment
Body armor
The majority of these soldiers wore simple tunics and lacked real armour because they relied on greater mobility. The cardiophylax was a very common piece of protection in ancient Iberia, most likely circular and with decorations and reliefs depicting animals and patterns. Strabo states the Celtiberians used a linen cuirass, probably in the Greek style. On the other hand, a number of vase paintings clearly show Iberian infantrymen wearing cuirasses of mail armour, with leather straps hanging down to protect the abdomen, but these heavier types of armour were probably used by the scutarii instead. The Iberians do not seem to have worn greaves, but Strabo states the Celtiberians did, and a number of reliefs do show infantrymen wearing greaves and short boots. The greaves may have been of metal or leather, but the ordinary soldier would probably have had greaves of felt.Helmets
The Iberians wore bronze helmets, sometimes of Greek and Corinthian shape, with either a low or high crest, but they seem to have been rare. They were probably worn only by the nobles and the tribal leaders. The crests are said to have been purple or crimson. The most common headwear seems to have been a simple helmet of bronze or leather, occasionally extended at the back to form a neckguard and with cheek guards added at the sides. Strabo says the Lusitanians wore helmets of sinew with a crest, and sculptures in southern Spain and South-west France do show some form of crested cap or hood. Diodorus Siculus says the Celtiberians wore helmets of brass or copper with red plumes. Another helmet widely used was the Montefortino helmet.Montefortino">Montefortino helmet">Montefortino
These helmets were mass-produced and used during the First and Second Punic Wars, the Celtiberian Wars, the Lusitanian Wars and in the Civil War between Caesar and Pompey. Montefortino helmets were believed to have originated in the Celtic occupied lands of northern Italy and soon became very common throughout the entire western Mediterranean. This helmet was so well thought of, and at the time so advanced, that it has been supposed that the Romans rapidly adopted it into their army. The Lusitanians seem to have not worn face guards perhaps because they blocked peripheral vision or just got in the way during combat. The soldiers would place a mane of dyed horse hair of various colours in it, or coloured feathers, perhaps to identify which tribe or military unit he belonged to or to signify rank, like a Roman centurion worn to indicate status within the Roman military formation.Shield
[Caetra]
This was the only shield these light infantrymen used, hence their name. The shield was circular, with a diameter between 30 cm and 90 cm. It was tied to the warrior's body with ropes or leather strips that passed over the shoulder and that gave great mobility to fight both on foot and on horseback. The shapes and decorations of the shields had variations in their metal, wood or leather protection. In combat, the shield was not only effective at blocking, but also an extremely proficient secondary weapon: Iberian troops used the boss to punch opponents. These compact bucklers could be hung on a belt or across the back by a strap, so as not to be burdensome to the soldier on the march or foraging for food, but still handy for when the enemy was close. Cavalry would usually carry the buckler so as to not over encumber their mounts or limit their horsemanship.Swords
Of all the weapons the Caetrati bore, the sword is the one that stands out the most. Iberians, Celtiberians and Lusitanians were among the finest swordsman of their time.[Falcata]
The most emblematic weapon used by these warriors. It was without a doubt their weapon of choice for over several centuries. This can be said due to the large amounts of these swords found on excavation sites throughout Portugal and Spain.According to the classical texts, the falcata used in the Iberian Peninsula was manufactured to perfection. Lusitanian warriors maintained a spiritual connection to their swords and when they died their swords were buried with them.
Diodorus reports that the falcatas were of such superior quality that no helmet, shield or bone could resist its devastating effect.