The rounded shield

[Late Emperor]

Why the roman military abandoned the traditional roman shield used in republican and early imperial times to adopt the germanic rounded shield typical of the late imperial army? What where the advantages of this kind of shield?

[caldrail]

Shields went through a number of changes in shape. Oval was the most useful, common, and appears throughout the history of the Roman military, ultimately becoming the standard in the late empire. The rectangular scutum that we all know and love was available first in a tall pattern during the Republic, widened in the Principate era, and shared the front line with a hexagonal shield occaisionally, especially in the reign of Tiberius. A rectangle with rounded corners was also used but this pattern was as rare as the hexagonal, and essentially celtic-esque in form.

 

I'm not sure what you're asking for. Do you mean the rounded rectangle, or the oval?

[barca]

Why the roman military abandoned the traditional roman shield used in republican and early imperial times to adopt the germanic rounded shield typical of the late imperial army? What where the advantages of this kind of shield?

 

 

There was a discussion on this issue previously:

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=11040

[Late Emperor]

I'm not sure what you're asking for. Do you mean the rounded rectangle, or the oval?

 

I wrote rounded but I was mistaken. I actually meant oval and asked why during the third century there was the transition from this:

 

 

to this:

 

 

I'm curious to understand if there were practical reasons for this change or if it depended from the fact that during the third century turmoil the roman emperors started to recruit many german troops and they introduced their shield in the roman army.

Personally I see the late empire oval shield as less efficient than the old rectangular one since it offers a smaller protecting surface and it makes the tactic of the testudo less efficient since during an enemy archery barrage some arrows can enter the empty spaces between the shields.

[Late Emperor]

There was a discussion on this issue previously:

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=11040

 

Very interesting thread, thanks for linking it: it answered my question and I learnt something else.

[Yehudah]

I don't think the rectangular shield was always carried by legionaries - I've seen tombstone inscriptions (e.g. the 1st Century epitaph of Flavoleius Cordus) depicting legionaries with oval-ish shields as early as the 1st Centuries BC and AD.

 

The last evidence for the rectangular shield dates to the reign of Gallienus; some of his coins depict Praetorians carrying them.

 

As for why the transition took place; I'm just as clueless and curious.

[caldrail]

The Romans began in their earliest days with leaf-shaped shields. Oval shields were used from the early republic right until the end of the western empire a thousand years later. It was the most convenient compromise between utility and protection. Rectangular shields became popular during the height of imperial power, representing the use of close order heavy infantry. However, hexagonal shields were sometimes used, such as during Tiberius's reign. There was always a mix of shield shapes - it was never completely standard.

[Yehudah]

^^

Hexagonal shields were a favorite of the auxiliary cavalry in the 1st and 2nd Centuries. I've never seen depictions of Roman infantry carrying them, but they were used by Germanic and Dacian footsoldiers so its possible legionaries or auxiliary infantry used them too.

[caldrail]

It isn't just possible, it's part of the archaeological record. Some legions in the reign of Tiberius used them, and if I remember right, some republican legions did too. I'll check the sources on that.

[Melvadius]

It isn't just possible, it's part of the archaeological record. Some legions in the reign of Tiberius used them, and if I remember right, some republican legions did too. I'll check the sources on that.

 

 

Caldrail, this may be some of the evidence you are thinking of:

 

The Arch at Orange has some images of hexagonal shields on it although these may be part of an image of a triumph, I believe relating to the Battle of Actium, in which case I wouldn

[Northern Neil]

Personally I see the late empire oval shield as less efficient than the old rectangular one since it offers a smaller protecting surface and it makes the tactic of the testudo less efficient since during an enemy archery barrage some arrows can enter the empty spaces between the shields.

A good point, and one would assume that to be the case. However, from experience in re-enactment, in the days when I was younger and thinner, a flat oval shield makes a testudo far more easily and efficiently than a highly convex rectangular one (SCUTUM). The flat oval shields can be overlapped like roofslates, and it takes but a few seconds to get rid of any chinks and gaps. Achieving this with SCUTA is far more difficult, and it is only possible to get an efficient overlap in one plane, i.e. with the guy in front and behind you. Gaps constantly open up with guys to your left and right, as the convex nature of the SCUTUM makes a steady overlap in that plane quite difficult.

[caldrail]

The use of rectangular or square shields might have older roots than the mid republic, despite the lack of direct evidence from archaeology.

 

In ancient times, when Romans used rectangular shields, the Estruscans fought in phalanx using bronze shields, but having compelled the Romans to adopt the same equipment they were themselves defeated."

Diodorus

 

Unfortunately Rome did not employ historians until the third century BC, thus the information is suspect, but intriguingly I see a pair of terracotta statuettes found at Veii, dated to the fifth century BC. They show naked male dancers with spear and shield. Apparently the Romans used war dances to train their young warriors. One has a round shield suitable for phalanx, the other a square shield. Aside from ornamental variety, it raises the possibility that not all latins were fighting in phalanx. Perhaps the Romans did so and kept up with military developments, thus assisting their military domination of the Latins who might not have been so quick to see the benefits of fighting greek-style.