THE IBERIANS
(Edetani, Ilergetes, Bastetani)
Actually, the origin of the Iberians is still debated, and still remained a mistery.
If they were a native people of Iberia or an Atlantic people coming from Northern Africa is not known, however, it’s sure they weren’t Indoeuropeans.
The Iberians were divided into many mainly pastoralists tribes, and their coastal communities benefited relatively early from Greek and Punic influences.
In the field of war Iberians seems mainly to favor skirmish and ambush more than frontal confrontation, and this reflected heavily on their equipment, that was quite light.
Early iberian shields appear to be relatively small, round in shape with a central umbo (caetra), even if more rarely appear depicted a second type, something like a tower shield that is supposed to be in wooden planks or wicker.
During the passage between IV and III a.C., increasing contacts with Carthaginian in the south-east and Gauls in the north-east brought Iberians to adopt also the thyreos, both with or without metal umbo on the spina.
In the field of the throwing weapons the Iberians show a notable specialization, with the development of various specialized javelins like the Falarica (similar to the italic saunion/light pilum) and the soliferreum, actually a copy of the Celtic gaesum, but if the latter was an elite weapon, thank to the iron richness of Spain the soliferreum was far more common.
Characteristic iberian sword above all was the Falcata an improved version of the Italic Kopis : if the latter was just a chopping weapon, the Falcata, even if curved was sharpened on both sides, being usable even as a thrusting weapon.
Helmets and armors were quite rare in Iberian context, and if in the V B.C. the iberians adopted, thanks to their experience in fighting as mercenaries aside and against Carthaginians and Greeks, the cardiophylax, at the end of IV B.C. that form of armor was already abandoned, sometimes favor of simply broad cross leather or felt straps, or linothorakes.
Metal helmets were quite rare too, and if too heavy models would fit bad with a light and agile warfare, the rare headgear depicted on vases probably were in leather.
Iberian Spearmen
Iberian Caetrati
Iberian Skirmish Cavalry
Iberian Slingers
Related to the people of Sardinia more than to Iberians, nevertheless the Balares were renowned mercenaries, that offered their services as slingers all over the Mediterranean.
Balearic Slingers
Long before Carthage extended her control over Iberia, Phoenicians from Lebanon founded several independent colonies on the southern and eastern iberian coast, like Gades.
Merchant and traders, the Phoenicians intermingled with the natives, expecially on the eastern coast with the Iberian people of the Bastetani, and ultimately became known with the name of Blastophoenicians, that means actually Bastetano-Phoenicians.
Blastophoenician Militia
The Oretani, which occupied the territory immediately north of the Turdetani and west of Bastetani, were a people of famed warriors and mercenaries inside the Iberian world.
When Hamilcar invaded Spain, the Turdetanian king Indortes organized a league of Iberic peoples, hired Celtiberian mercenaries and called for help a famed Oretanian general, Istolacio.
Oretani are also the people from which Hannibal took his wife: the princess Himilce, daughter of King Mucro, to get their political and military support (Livy, Ab Urbe Condita , XXIV , 41, 7).
Identified in general as an Iberian people, the Oretani appeard as an heavily influenced by their northern neighbors, the Celtiberi : one of the cities of Oretani has a celtic name, which is Merobriga, and one of their sub-tribes is identified as "Germani " - a celtic word, either from “*ger”, “Near/Neighbour” or “Garim”, “Screaming” ( Pliny , Naturalis Historia , III, 25).
However, it is true that the Oretani mentioned among Hannibal’s mercenaries are specifically referred to as "Oretani Iberes" , opening the possibility of the existence of two distinct oretanian sub-tribes , one of Celtic origin , and a more truly Iberian one.
Regarding Oretanian panoply , besides the ubiquitous Falcata, characteristic of Iberian people, iconography allows to recognize another kind of sword too, straight and leaf-bladed, maybe a celtiberian cladeimos, and besides the thyreos (oblong shield), what appears to be a large caetra (round shield).
Also, thanks to the iconographic sources , we can distinguish two types of helmets (much a Montefortino and perhaps an Attic) and those that appears to be linothorakes , whose occasional presence in general within Spaniards is also attested by literary sources (Strabo , Geography , III , 3, 6).
Oretani Warriors
Another powerful people of Hispania were without doubt the Ilergetes, that lived on the north-eastern spanish coastline.
Their king Indibilis or Andobales is referred to puppet ruler of northeastern Iberia ( Polybius , Histories , III , 76) for the Carthaginians, and further is described coming in aid of Hasdrubal Gisgo against the Romans, with a force of 6500 Susessetani (Livy, Ab Urbe Condita , XXV , 34) during the II Punic War.
Warlike and powerful, the Ilergeti seem to be a center of influence for the northeast of Iberia, having as clients the Ilercavoni, the Suessetani, the Cessetani, and several other tribes, who all seem to share an Iberian common matrix but a strong gaulish influence in military equipment .
Besides archaeological findings of the iberian Falcata, there is evidence of Galloitalic helmet type with cheek-pieces (more or less pointed iron helmet with three-lobed cheek-guards), and long La Téne sword , as well as next to umbos attributable to round caetrae there are others that lead to the thyreos shield type, in this specific case , as a general view, probably the result of transpyrenaic Gallic influence more than Carthaginian .
Ilergete Warriors - Ilergete Cavalry
The Edetani were a strong warrior tribe on the eastern coast of central Spain.
Probably, the first Iberian mercenaries that fought in Mediterranean wars under Carthage, Magno-Greeks and Siceliots in the IV a.C. came from this tribe.
Characteristic of the Edetani appear to be a cap with a knobbed ridge, maybe a leather helmet, and also, they are the only Iberian clearly depicted with what have been interpreted as a lorica hamata -
Beyond the rarity of the representation, which however is not reflected in the archaeological record, it is doubtful whether we can speak of local production or spoils of war
Edetani Scutari Spearmen
Edetani Nobles
Edetani Heavy Cavalry