Iberian and Iberian Descent Pride

**HectorOfTroy** · 12-08-2023, 05:54 AM

It took the Romans nearly 200 years to conquer the Iberian Peninsula, (meanwhile they decimated the Gauls and Britons in a matter of decades or less).

Being so unburdened the Iberians were known to fight so elegantly that it was referred to as “acrobatic”. In battle the Iberians would throw a thin javelin of solid metal which could pierce through shields and men, then they would close in on the enemy and fight as individuals. Using combinations of quick thrusts, slicing counters or bashing overhand strikes, the Iberians overwhelmed their opponents. Because of their skill in battle these very lightly armed men were often counted as heavy infantry and Hannibal used them, along with other heavily armored Celts...

So a heavily armored Celt is about equivalent to a very lightly armored Iberian

He [Scipio] was so impressed by the falcata that he had Iberian smiths teach his smiths how to make the blades and equipped his entire army with a version known as the gladius hispanicus.

According to the classical texts, the falcata used in the Iberian Peninsula was manufactured to perfection. Lusitanian warriors maintained a spiritual connection to their swords and when they died their swords were buried with them.

At an individual level, it was essentially unanimous in the Iberian Peninsula to prefer death before captivity, disarmament and slavery. As a last resource, warriors would carry a phial containing poison extracted from either hemlock or ranunculus, which they would use to commit suicide if captured.[21][22] The second poison had also a psychological effect on their enemies, as the user would suffer a postmortem contraction of the facial muscles (sardonicism) and would make it look like the dead warrior was supernaturally laughing at them.[21]

They [Iberian Mercenaries] are repeatedly described by authors like Strabo and Thucydides as being among the best fighting forces in the Mediterranean area

They are repeatedly described by authors like Strabo and Thucydides as being among the best fighting forces in the Mediterranean Sea area, as well as, according to Livy, the most elite unit in Hannibal's army (id roboris in omni exercitu).[3] Polybius cites them as the reason for the Carthaginian victory in several battles during the Second Punic War.[4]