Preparing the Shield for Battle

[Fulvia]

I have a non-history friend who recently began to engage me on the subject of Roman armour. She was reading a chapter out of a book by Rick Renner who was discussing the care that a Roman legionary took with his shield. Firstly, he would regularly oil his shield to help keep the leather supple and to prevent cracking. This is not surprising or questionable, however, the book continued on by saying that before battle a legionary would soak his shield in water for a time which would hinder it from catching on fire. I have two problems with this in my logical thinking mind:

1) if the shield is so well oiled, would it not repel the water like, well, water off a duck's back?

2) should the water be absorbed it would add a significant weight to the bearer who really didn't need to be loaded down any more than he was in the midst of battle. In the mind of a solider, this doesn't seem like a good choice unless it was known that the enemy was going to use fire against them.

 

The author gave no reference for his source of information regarding this practice, does anyone here have anything they could share regarding this supposedly common habit?

[GhostOfClayton]

There was also a suggestion from an Ermine Street Guard video on YouTube that a protective leather cover was employed when the shield was not in use. No doubt a very heavy one!

[Klingan]

2) should the water be absorbed it would add a significant weight to the bearer who really didn't need to be loaded down any more than he was in the midst of battle. In the mind of a solider, this doesn't seem like a good choice unless it was known that the enemy was going to use fire against them.

 

This is surely not to be seen as a general statement, but I wouldn't be surprised if it has been used (e.g. in a Testudo formation). It is possible that the author found a reference in the ancient literature and used it without thinking.

[cinzia8]

2) should the water be absorbed it would add a significant weight to the bearer who really didn't need to be loaded down any more than he was in the midst of battle. In the mind of a solider, this doesn't seem like a good choice unless it was known that the enemy was going to use fire against them.

 

This is surely not to be seen as a general statement, but I wouldn't be surprised if it has been used (e.g. in a Testudo formation). It is possible that the author found a reference in the ancient literature and used it without thinking.

 

In addition, weren't the shields painted as well? A soaking would harm the paint and also might warp the wood. Perhaps, they used a quick splash of water as a small deterrent against a flaming arrow, which might precede actual contact.

 

Cinzia

[Pilus Prior]

I have personally never heard of the shield itself being oiled...perhaps the cover. I am not sure how oil would react to encaustic or cassein paints...

 

Dipping in water? I'd start to question how credible that book is lol.

[caldrail]

I'm not aware of any description in the sources of Romans struggling with overweight water-laden shields. That doesn't mean there isn't one, I just haven't found anything like that. There was a case in Germanicus's campaigns in Germania when the legions were marching in areas subject to tidal flooding, literally up to their necks in water and many slipping and drowning under the weight of equipment. Tacitus doesn't specifically mention the shield as I recall but it's worth checking.

[caldrail]

I have remembered that there is an account of Roman legionaries mounting raids on German villages in the late empire, using shields as flotation devices to cross rivers and attack stealthily.