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Thread: Preview: Iberian Factions

  1. #1

    Default Preview: Iberian Factions

    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.




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    Iberian Spearmen
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    Iberian Caetrati

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    Iberian Skirmish Cavalry

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    Iberian Slingers

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    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

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    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

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    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).


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    Oretani Warriors


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    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

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    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




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    Edetani Scutari Spearmen

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    Edetani Nobles

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    Edetani Heavy Cavalry


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    Last edited by Iutland; June 05, 2014 at 01:59 PM. Reason: Merge threads

  2. #2

    Default Preview: Celtiberian roster

    THE CELTIBERIANS
    (Callaeci, Areuakoi, Celtici, Cantabri)


    With the terms of Celtiberians are described from time to time tribes born from mixed marriages between Celts coming from north the Pyrenees and local Iberians, or Celtic enclaves that coming to settle in Iberia became influenced by the local culture.

    The born of Celtiberian enclaves is difficult to define, but probably it was a process started already during Hallstatt period (700-500 B.C.), with the infiltration of Hallstatt Culture in Spain, and proceeding with the progressive arrival of La Téne Celtic warbands during 500-400 B.C.



    Celtic newcomers adapted quite well, and adopted in the field of warfare numerous elements of the locals, mainly the round caetra, employing even bigger caetrae in wicker "as large as an hoplite shield " (Diodorus Siculus, Historical Library , V , 33 ), abandoning nearly at all the thyreos, and never undergoing to the IV-III military change that brought other continental Celts to adopt phalanx formation.
    Moreover, having settled mainly in central Spain (in particular the Meseta), they didn’t benefit from Carthaginian influence until the II Punic War, so the curious overall situation of shields in Spaniards panoplies of III B.C. found the Celtiberians, that formerly used the thyreos, that had largely adopted the caetra, and the Iberians vice-versa.



    In the field of throwing weapons Celtiberians were identical to Iberians but their main blade weapons were quite different: even if the Falcata was used, it was a rarity, and the main weapon was the Cladeimos,a straight sword developed from celtic longsword: actually a broader and more pointed La Tène blade, excellent both on slashing and thrusting, that the Romans copied to develop their Gladius, that actually in its earlier phase was named Hispaniensis (Spanish).


    In the field of body protection Celtiberians warriors were normally light as the Iberians, and even if Linothorakes and Chainmail were probably present, as pointed put by some scarce findings and cross analysis with Lusitanian context, common Celtiberian warrior fought just with his tunic.


    Same was for helmet, even if from III B.C. Montefortino helmets are sometimes present, always as spoils of war taken from Carthaginians and Romans, and always modified with the removal of the cheekpieces, that would have limited the peripheral vision, influencing negatively the skirmish fighting way.



    More rare, although present, are Attic-Chalcidian helmets, again spoils of war, probably taken from Romans or their Italic Allies.

    Moreover, from the depiction of Numantia vase the use of greaves in organic material have been hypnotized, corroborated with cross analysis with the Lusitanians.




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    Celtiberian Caetrati Spearmen
    - Celtiberian Caetrati
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    Celtiberian Slingers

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    Celtiberian cavalry was famed. Hannibal employed Celtiberian horsemen, prized for their ability to fast revert from a cavalry unit to footmen, and also thanks to them he won some of his greatest victories. During the II Punic Wars, the Romans were so impressed by Celtiberian cavalry to send ambassadors within Celtiberian tribes to recruit mercenary horsemen.

    Celtiberian Cavalry

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    In mountain regions of north-western Spain, mainly Cantabria, a traditional weapon seems to be the axe, probably a woodcutting tool reverted to weapon.



    Cantabrian Axemen

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    Also, Cantabrians were famed for their skirmish light cavalry, capable of various equestrian manouvers, and so skilled that was even eployed by the Romans after the conquest of North-Western Spain

    Cantabrian Skirmish Cavalry

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    Being actually prized mercenaries and fierce fighters, the Celtiberians were mass recruited by the Carthaginians during the II Punic War.
    In order to fit them better in pitched line combat, Carthaginan officers mass equipped the largest part of their Celtiberian mercenaries with thyreos, and thought them how to fight less as skirmish units and more in a regular formation.
    Actually we don't know how much of this military emprovement was assimilated in Celtiberia, but we can assume the existence of veteran mercenary warriors back to home that could apply what had been thought to them by their former Carthaginian officers.

    Celtiberian Scutarii

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    Inside Celtiberian armies there were two particular groups noted by historians; the Iuventus and the Devoti.
    The Iuventus was a military society that grouped youngsters from noble families, that undergo military life, as mercenaries and/or brigands like in a rite of passage (Tito Livio, Ab Urbe Condita, XXVIII, 24), forming warbands that had been compared by modern scholars to the irish Fianna, while the Devoti were chosen warriors quite similar in concept to the transpyrenaic celtic Soldurii, a loyal guard bounded to a chieftain by oath, that in the battlefield would rather die than abandoning him.

    Celtiberian Iuventus


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    Celtiberian Devoti

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  3. #3

    Default Preview: Turdetani roster

    THE TURDETANI

    Among the powerful peoples of Iberia during the III-II b.C, the first to catch the eye are the Turdetani , who occupied the southern part of Spain , along the coast between Cadiz and Malaga.

    Not really Iberians , but the heirs of the Tartessic Culture ( Strabo , Geography, III, 2 , 11) , of uncertain origin , their nation is already mentioned in the Bible under the name of Tarshis as a trading partner of the Phoenicians of Tyre (Ezekiel , 27, 12) .


    Tartessic Culture is if possible more mysterious than the Iberian, however, it had a completely different language from Iberian, even if, as the latter, not Indoeuropean.



    Herodotus describes the great wealth of the mythical Tartessian king Arganthonios (“Silver One” or by extension “Tresaurer”, probably a mythical transposition of a god) and the prosperous market of Tartessos, founded on its thriving metal trade (Herodotus, Histories, I.163; IV.152).



    Tartessos’ wealth came from rich sources of copper, lead, gold, and silver in the Sierra Morena of Southern Iberia (with mining settlements dating from the eighth to sixth centuries B.C.E.



    The Tartessians traded heavily with the Greeks, and moreover with the Phoenicians, who founded their own port nearby at Gades (modern-day Cádiz)
    .


    Around 500 B.C.E. the Tartessians fought the Phoenicians at their trading town of Gades, so the Phoenicians called in the help of the Carthaginians.


    After the Carthaginians calmed the unrest in the region, they took control of Gades and even if their control on the region didn’t last long, they managed to destroy the city of Tartessos (Livy History, XXIII, 26-27).



    After that, the term Tartessos falls out of favor amongst Greco-Roman authors around this time as well, replaced by the term Turdetania to refer to the same region.


    Strabo will notice a substantial difference between the Turdetani and other peoples of Iberia , and will recognize the latter a much more advanced level of culture:

    "The Turdetani are the most civilized of the Iberians : they know to write and possess books, and also poems and a code of laws that they consider older than seven thousand years ..." (Strabo , Geography, III , 1, 6 )

    Strabo also wrote about a rich economy based on an abundant production of resources and manufacturing for export and a large commercial fleet "...so numerous as to almost compete with that of Libya [ of Carthage ] "
    ( Strabo , Geography, III, 2 , 6)

    Strabo also states clearly that the Bastetani, an Iberian people with strong Phoenician influence that lived along the eastern coast of Spain to Mastia (Cartagena), east of Turdetania , were vassals of Turdetani , as well as many other populations which in turn bordered with Bastetani.

    "But these Bastetani which I have just narrated , too, are under the dominion of Turdetania , and so the Bastetani over river Anas , and most of their neighbors "
    ( Strabo , Geography, III, 2 , 11)


    Actually, when the Carthaginians invaded again Spain, these time leaded by Hamilcar Barca, in 237, the Turdetanian lead a league of Iberian peoples and employed even Celtiberian mercenaries to confront him.


    Comparing Strabo with Livy, that indicates a conflict between the Turdetani and the Saguntini , which are referred to as their neighbors, it is reasonable to assume that at some point of history the control of Turdetani to be extended not only on Bastetani , but along throughout the south-eastern coast of Spain , going to cover also the area of Contestani and Edetani , the latter actually bordering with Saguntus.

    "With the inhabitant of Saguntius there was not yet war, but disputes that could become a pretext and that had already been stirred up between them and their neighbors , especially the Turdetani "
    ( Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XXI, 6)


    This huge area of control is not demonstrate however until the end of III B.C., and is probable to assume that, after defeating them and making them their vassals, the Carthaginian boosted Turdetanian control over eastern Iberia.


    Having a leading role based on commercial and cultural power, the Turdetanian themselves weren’t particularly fierce or effective warriors, and Livy defined them as "The least belligerent of all Spaniards", and wrote that after engaging war with the Romans, after the first defeats , they relied on Celtiberians mercenaries ( Livy, Ab Urbe Condita , XXXIV, 17).

    Indeed in chronicles of the Punic Wars they are given only once as an active element within the Carthaginian army, together with the Edetani , sent to Africa as a reinforcement by Hannibal while preparing his expedition to Italy (Polybius , Histories , III, 33).

    Regarding the characteristic armament of Turdetani warriors, except from the clear depiction of Linothorakes, it doesn’t seem particularly different from the one of Iberians, and both by iconography and archaeological findings we can infer the presence of both Thyreophoroi (oblong shield-bearers), and Caetrati (round shield bearers) , with a characteristic crested helmets and armed with the Falcata.


    IBERIAN VASSALS TROOPS:
    Iberian Slingers - Iberian Spearmen - Iberian Skirmish Cavalry - Blastophoenician Militia

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    MERCENARY - ALLIED TROOPS

    Oretani Warriors - Balearic Slingers


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    Turdetanian Scutarii

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    Turdetanian Caetrati

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    The term Turduli is quite obscure, and is used time to time to identify a neighbor allied tribe of the Turdetani, one of their sub-tribes, or even as synonym for the Turdetani themselves.

    Actually, the more accepted theory is that Turduli could be the result of an increased Celtic presence in Turdetania, with the Turdetanians being the direct descendants of the Tartessians and the Turdulians being a more Celticized related and subjected tribe in the same region.


    (Andrew Arribas, the Iberians)

    The presence in Turdetanian iconography of bare-chested warriors equipped with La Téne straight cladeimos sword and thyreos, or with caetra, often sharing a round helmet quite different from the turdetanian crested cap, could be interpreted as the depiction of the celticized Turduli.


    Turdulian Caetrati

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    Turdulian Thyreophoroi

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  4. #4

    Default Preview: Lusitani roster

    THE LUSITANI



    Many things have been written on the origin of the Lusitanians, and actually even the classical writers hadn’t a clear idea, attributing them time to time to the Celtiberian (Pliny, Naturalis Historia, III, 13)

    or to the Iberian family (Diodoro Siculo, Biblioteca Storica, V, 34).

    However, even if in the past were regarded by modern scholars as a Celtic people related to Celtiberians, some recent analysis have pointed out a close relation with the Italic branch (F. Villar e R. Pedrero, La nueva inscripción lusitana: Arroyo de la Luz III, in Religión, lengua y cultura prerromanas de Hispania, 2001, pp.663-698), and ultimately it came up that Lusitani were representative of an authentic culture on their own, related in the same way both to Celts and Italics (V. Blazek, Lusitanian Language, in Studia minora facultatis philosophicae universitatis Brunensis, vol. 11).




    Even so, Lusitanian were deeply celticized in their way of life, and it reflected in their military structure, with the adoption of Celtiberian military customs like the institution of Devoti and Iuventus (Diodorus Siculus, V, 34).



    Lusitanian panoply is described more or less identical to the Celtiberian one, with a particular intensive use of soliferrea, the peculiar and use of little caetrae made of a resistant vegetal fiber named esparto, and what appear to be the maintenance of the old kardiophylax.

    The Lusitanii are the strongest amongst Iberians; to war, they carry very small shields, made out of esparto (a natural hard vegetable fiber), with which can easily defend their bodies. During battle they wield it skilfully, moving it from one side to the other of their bodies, defending themselves with ability from every blow that falls upon them. They also use spears, entirely made of iron with harpoon-shaped tips, and ware helms and a sword very similar to the Celtiberians; they throw their spears with precision and to a great distance, very frequently causing grevious wounds. They are swift while moving and fast while running, so they flee and chase quickly (). With these light armors, being able to run very fast and being very sharp-minded, they can only be defeated with difficulty. They consider the rocks and ranges their homeland and so seek refuge in them, because they are impracticable to large and heavy armies. So, because of that, the Romans, who have organized countless expeditions against them, although being able to counter their daring, have not, dispite of their commitment, been able to end their pillaging.
    Diodorus Siculus, V, 34

    At any rate, the Lusitanians, it is said, are given to laying ambush, given to spying out, are quick, nimble, and good at deploying troops. They have a small shield two feet in diameter, and suspended from the shoulder by means of thongs (for it has neither arm-rings nor handles). Besides these shields they have a kopis or a butcher's knife. Most of them wear linen cuirasses; a few wear chainmail and helmets with three crests, but the rest wear helmets made of sinews. The foot-soldiers wear greaves also, and each soldier has several javelins; and some also make use of spears”
    (
    Strabo, Geography, III,3,6)



    Lusitanian Caetrati Spearmen

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    Lusitanian Caetrati

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    Lusitanian Skirmish Cavalry

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    Lusitanian Slingers



    Lusitanian Iuventus

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    Lusitanian Devoti

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    In 82 B.C. Quintus Sertorius, a Roman high officer from Gaius Marius' party, fleed to Lusitania after Sulla took power in Rome.

    In some way Sertorius managed to gain the total loyalty of the locals, that felt oppressed by the Romans.

    Sertorius with his troops and with the help of the locals manage to chase off the Roman loyalists from all Hispania Ulterior (actually Portugal and Center Spain), and the Lusitanian acclaimed him with as "The New Hannibal".

    He ruled the Hispania Ulterior for 10 years, establishing a senate composed of former roman immigrants from Marius' party and Lusitanian and Celtiberian chieftains, and built even a school were the most prominent Lusitanian chieftains brought their child to be teached in the roman ways.

    Undefeated by all the Roman generals the Republic sent to Spain to deal with him (He managed to defeat even Pompey), eventually he was murdereded by Marcus Perpenna Vento, one of his roman lieutenants, corrupted by Pompey with the promise of money and amnesty.

    Cohors Sertoriana
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    In the period of Sertorius' rule in Spain, there is a new flourishing of local celtiberian coinage.
    The symbol on these coins, from various celtiberian tribes, is a horsemen with helmet and kontos, and similar figures is found even on steles of the same period, maybe a representation of a real hellenistic kind of troop introduced by Sertorius.

    Celtiberian Kontophoroi
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