Mercenary Caetrati Infantry
Light Infantry(0.6.7)Side / Back
Short description
Caetrati Falcata were quick moving light infantry; ideal for skirmishing but also able to serve as line infantry.
Description
The Caetra Falcata were light infantry found throughout Iberia; they were quick moving, ideal for ambush and skirmishing, but also able to serve as line infantry.
These men fought in a formation similar to that of the Roman maniple, called by Polybius the speirai (Polybius, 3.114.4), which was the same term he used for maniples (Polybius, 6.24.5-8). These troops firstly threw their javelins to disrupt the enemy line, and then charged to engage in close fighting with their swords.
These Iberian infantry were completely unarmoured excepting a simple bronze cap helmet, and were armed with a caetra and the falcata sword. The caetra was a small, round buckler, some 1-2 feet in diameter. These warriors were also armed with the soliferreum, the slim all-iron javelin that was a characteristic weapon of the Iberians, and inspired the Roman pilum. According to Strabo it could penetrate helmet, shield and body armour. It was designed to kill, or render useless the enemy shield.
These men wore a short, woollen white tunic with short sleeves, having a purple border at the hem, neck and sleeves. It was gathered at the waist with a wide leather belt. Polybius and Livy described Hannibal's Iberians in "dazzling white" tunics edged purple; Polybius says this was the national costume (Polybius, 3.114.2-4). These swordsmen also wore shoes.
The main weapon for these light infantry was the falcata, a single-edged sword, some 55-63 cm long, which was an excellent cut-and-thrust sword.
The Caetra Falcata were recruited from among all the main Iberian tribes and petty kingdoms, including the Turdetani, Bastetani, Oretani, Edetani, Illergetes and Contestani. These Iberians spoke their own Iberian language, but Punic was commonly spoken too.
These soldiers were commonly found throughout the Iberian Peninsula as mercenaries. From the fifth century BC they are also found in Sicily, where they served the Carthaginians (Diod.14.55.4; Polybius, 1.18.8; 1.19.3). Dionysius I of Syracuse also succeeded in hiring an Iberian contingent (Diod. 14.55.6).