Glossary

Caetra Small round concave shield made out of hardened leather and a round shield-boss. This was a typical shield of the light infantry Callaican warrior from the Iberian Northwest.

Cangaceiros Social banditry and guerrilla in the Brazilian Northeast in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cangaceiros lived hiding in the arid landscape, and raided the rich land-owners’ properties fighting with revolvers and rifles.

HopUte Greek heavy infantry militia warrior that first appeared in the seventh century until the rise of the Macedonians. The heavy protecting armor was dominated by the large shield that was the base of close rank fighting tactics of the contemporary Greek armies.

Mercenary A professional soldier who is not bound by political, ideological, national, or ethnical reasons. Mercenaries have existed in all times, and have been an important support for warfare particularly in Antiquity. Although their objective was the gain, most mercenaries had a strong sense of fidelity and discipline, to the extent that in many occasions they were preferred for elite corps and personal guards.

Siege Model of confrontation where one of the forces - normally the weaker - lies under the protection of a fortress, whereas the besieging force attempts to overcome the defenses in order to attain direct combat.

Sea Peoples An as yet vaguely known confederacy of seafaring warrior peoples that wandered in the western Mediterranean area from the late thirteenth century BC onwards. Probably originating from Anatolia, they raided the Middle East shores and even penetrated Egypt, thus causing a substantial turmoil and shifts of political power.

Skirmishers Very swift and nimble light infantry - or

Cavalry - warriors, sometimes with no armor and few weapons, such as the slings. Skirmishers were normally mercenaries who added to the conventional army composition of close rank heavy infantry. Their role was to attack and harass the enemy’s formations in order to produce casualties and break the ranks.