the variety and procedences of the mercenaries are not faithfully recorded, other than celtiberians, lusitanians and balearics, which hannibal would arrange and use for their particular talents. the first served as heavy cavalry, in contrast to the lighter, skirmishing numidian cavalry, though they were also entrusted the front lines as infantry in battles like cannae, where they stood out for their ability to hold the line. lusitanians are mentioned as having served as mountain troops, possibly playing the role of both skirmishers and heavy cavalry along with celtiberians. their combined force, composed of around 2,000 horsemen, was praised by livy over their more numerous and famous numidian homologues. finally, balearics, ranging between 1,000 and 2,000, excelled as skirmishing infantry, being armed with famed slings capable to throw heavy shot over their enemies. silius italicus speaks of even more tribes in the army, including vettones, gallaecians (combined with the lusitanians in a single battalion), cantabrians, astures, and vascones, although authors have doubted of such diversity. in any case, celtiberians and lusitanians probably were the main bodies of mercenaries, as hannibal's spiel addressing them before the battle of ticinus attests.