The Celtiberians
On the soil of Idoubeda, the country where rivers are born, live proud and independent tribes that speak a common tongue and share a hard existence. Greeks and Romans call them
Celtiberians, because they are tribes on the frontier of the Celtic and Iberian worlds. Nonethless, they have they their own high-sounding names for themselves: Belli, Titti, Lusoni, Pelendoni and Arevaci. Their principal cities are not many in number (Numantia, Secaiza, Termaintia, Uxama, Turiaza, the Contrebias, and Bilbilis), but they are proud and difficult to take, for they have high mud-brick walls, great ditches, and stones thrust into the ground like
stakes in front of their gateways.
The Celtiberians devote themselves to the breeding of livestock and, to a lesser extent, to agriculture and the mining of iron. The temper and suppleness of their blades is renowned.
Among the men of the Celtiberians it is the custom to wear the hair braided and tie it in pigtails, like the Gauls. A cloak of dark wool, open on the left and held in place with a broach worn upon the right shoulder, is their national dress. The women of the farther reaches of Celtiberia prefer as love tokens the severed hands of enemies. It its they who maintain the ancient traditions, singing to the children of the deeds of their forefathers.
The Celtiberians are cunning warriors and consummate horsemen, though they prefer to fight on foot. They know how to fight in the close serried ranks of the phalanx, and their famous charge in a great wedge is feared by all who dare oppose these brave and tenacious tribes. The Celtiberian does not fear to die beneath the sword, for he knows that ravens and
vultures will carry his soul aloft to lay it at the feet of the divine Lug, and that he will be remembered with honour amongst his folk. Any war fought against these people will be a war of fire, and their enemies will be consumed in its flames!
CAETRATII
At the start of the battle, they fight as skirmishers ahead of the main battle force, harassing the movements of the enemy, luring units into ambushes and hampering the movements of the opposing army. Then they retire behind the heavy troops, and in the course of the battle seek out the flanks and rear of the enemy before charging.
Caetrati wear little or no armour. They also carry a sword (traditionally the falcata) for hand-to-hand combat, as well as the caetra, the round concave shield for which they are named.
These troops are light infantry. Both rapid and manoeuvrable, they are ideally suited to the guerrilla tactics favoured by the Iberians.
(Soon I will translate more, I hope you like them, greetings!)