Caetra
| Caetra | |
|---|---|
_01.jpg) High relief from Osuna (Seville, Spain) showing an Iberian warrior with caetra (2nd or 1st Century BC) | |
| Type | Shield |
| Place of origin | Iberian Peninsula as Caetra |
| Service history | |
| In service | Classical antiquity |
| Used by | Lusitanians, Celtberians, Gallaecian, Celts and Iberians |
| Wars | Punic Wars, Celtiberian Wars, Lusitanian War and Sertorian War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3–5 kg (6.6–11.0 lb) |
| Width | 30–90 cm (12–35 in) |
Caetra was the shield used by Iberian, Celtiberian, Gallaecian and Lusitanian warriors. The shield was circular shaped with a diameter between 30 cm to 90 cm. It was tied to the warrior's body with ropes or leather strips that passed over the shoulder and that gave great mobility to fight both on foot and on horseback. The shapes and decorations of the shields had variations in their metal, wood or leather protection. Warriors that carried this shield were usually light infantry called caetratus (pl. Caetrati).
Description
This 30 to 90 cm (1ft to 3ft) diameter light round shield was constructed from wood sections attached by two metal bars of
Cavalrymen
would usually carry the caetra so as to not over encumber their mounts or limit their horsemanship.
See also
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caetra.