THE IBERIAN SOLDIERS
By: José I. Lago.
The old authors describe to the iberos soldiers dressed in white short dress with borders purple and their íberas falcatas in the hand. Probably the dress were not "white", but of the natural color of the wool, like it happens with the Roman gowns, and probably the purple of the borders was not so, but a strip of scarlet color.
In fact, it is evident that all the Spanish soldiers did not dress equal way, far from it, but this indumentaria yes that was most current and by that the Romans identified the Spaniards of the army of Aníbal. An aesthetic one that is most repeated in the ibero art.
The famous relief of Osuna, Sevilla (Spain), shows the most well-known image of the soldier with its íbera sword.
Warrior with iberian falcata and shield
Figure made by Jose Ignacio Lake that represents the typical Spanish infant of the time of the Punic wars, so and as is described by the Roman historians and appears in the relief of Osuna.
Magnificent illustration of Jeff Burn that shows a Spanish infant of the army of Aníbal.
The Spanish soldiers used a great variety of armors to protect themselves in combat. Simplest he was the pectoral one that then also used the Roman legionaries and who consisted of a metal plate that protected the chest.
In the image of Angus McBride a ceremony is reconstructed in which a soldier asks for the blessing for his falcata before an altar. The soldier takes typical the pectoral one, this one of round type and very decorated, with a lynx head, an original feline of Spain of a great beauty. The soldier also carries a leather helmet, grebas of bronze and a wide bronze belt also of which the case of the íbera falcata hangs.
The famous "Glass of the Soldiers" found in San Miguel de Liria shows iberos soldiers armed with levels of grudges, lances and shields of céltico type. Also celta was very used the mesh level, mainly by the celtíberas tribes.
Magnificent reconstruction of the real aspect of the soldiers of the previous glass by Angus McBride. In this drawing it can be appraised the íberas falcatas that these soldiers used.
The most well-known weapon of the iberos is the famous falcata.
Falcata found in Almenedilla, Cordova. One of the best one conserved examples of this beautiful Spanish sword.
The falcata is a weapon of Spanish origin, in fact is a streamlined type of gladius Roman hispaniensis or gladius, that after the arrival from Rome to Spain happened to comprise of the Roman fighting equipment. The leaf of the falcata approximately measures about 45 cm. in length, that is to say, the length of the arm. In fact there were not two equal falcatas, since these valuable Roman swords made of order, reason why each one had measures according to the arm of his sir.
In all Mediterranean the quality of these arms, made with an iron mineral was admired of highest purity. Its flexibility was so that the armorers placed it on their heads doubling them until the end and the grip touched their shoulders. If the Roman sword returned to its straight position when loosen it of blow were an art work, if it were not fused to return to make it. Greek that arrived at Spain took the falcata with himself and had great acceptance, becoming the second used weapon more after the hoplita sword.
Gladius hispaniensis and pugio pertaining to the personal collection of Jose I Lago.
The Romans adapted their own grip to gladius, but pugio continued with the typical Spanish grip.
The iberos used two types of shields: the céltico, made oval, and caetra, that was round and smaller
Magnificent illustration of Peter Connolly who shows a iberos rider and an infant. The infant carries a lance of attack and the frightful soliferrum, a throwable lance as large as a man and completely of iron. Here, both soldiers take leather helmets. The one of the infant, in hood form, has a crest of horsehair of horse dyed of red color.
Separate mention deserves the famous honderos of the Balearic islands that formed one of the elite troops more known the Antiquity arriving to comprise of the auxiliary troops of Julio Caesar.
The frightful honderos in a magnificent illustration of Angus McBride.
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