Spanish

Ancient Spain was one of the toughest places to fight in Europe before the Roman Empire. The tribesmen often defeated Punic, Roman, and Gaulish armies, taking full advantage of their mobility, ferocity, and effective weaponry. An Iberian army was typically an infantry force with about two thirds close-order warriors carrying extra-heavy javelins, swords that were highly respected in the ancient world, and decent shields, and the other third very mobile light infantry with javelins. There might be some slingers too, and sometimes the lighter troops predominated. Cavalry were fewer in number and mainly light, but hard-hitting. The army looks imposing on the table, since most of them wore clean white tunics and white sinew caps with horsehair crests, and the heavy foot fought in large wedges. It took the Romans far longer to conquer Iberia than to overrun Gaul.