10 Facts about Roman Shields

Post On: August 27, 2018

You do not have to be curious to find out the tools or equipment worn by the soldiers or troops in the ancient Rome if you read Facts about Roman Shields. The Italian people in the antiquity wore a special type of shield to protect them during the war. During the 4th century BC, the ancient Roman army began to adapt the shield. The adoption of the shield was affected by the change in the military formation. The Romans began to apply the formation with maniples and left the hoplite phalanx of the Greeks. The latter one made the Romans took clipeus. It was a round shield. The larger shield was needed for the former formation. The shield was called scutum. Let us find out other impressive facts about Roman Shields below:

Facts about Roman Shields 1: the original design of scutum

Have you ever seen the picture of a roman shield before? The original design of a scutum has the convex and oblong shape.

Facts about Roman Shields 2: the shield in the 1st century BC

The shield was changed and developed by the first century BC. The shape was moved into semi cylindrical or rectangular. People often link the design with the scutum found in modern era.

Roman Shield

Roman Shield

Facts about Roman Shields 3: the shields of the Romans

The Romans did not use one type of shield. They had various types of shields to go to war. The type of shield carried by the soldiers was determined by their role in the battlefield.

See Also: 10 Facts about Roman Legions

Facts about Roman Shields 4: the shape of Roman shields

In the Roman history, the soldiers had carried a number of shields. They could be in rectangular, circular or oval.

Facts about Roman Shields 5: clypeus

Clypeus was carried by the Roman soldiers in the early days of ancient Rome. It was employed for the hoplite phalanx formation. This shield was small and rounded.

Roman Shields

Roman Shields

Facts about Roman Shields 6: the benefit of hoplite phalanx formation

The hoplite phalanx formation worked well if the soldiers had a tight formation. However, the level of maneuverability was low since the soldiers should keep its tightness and compactness.

Read Also: 10 Facts about Roman Reigns

Facts about Roman Shields 7: the small shield

The small shield lost its popularity in Rome because it only gave little protection on the soldiers. However, it gave them higher mobility during the war.

Facts about Roman Shields 8: maniple formation

The hoplite phalanx was left behind since the Romans decided to apply the manipular formation, which gave them flexibility.

Facts about Roman Shields

Facts about Roman Shields

Facts about Roman Shields 9: changing the shield

Since the Romans changed their formation, they had to change the shields. The scutum shield was more preferable.

Check Also: 10 Facts about Roman Forts

Facts about Roman Shields 10: the first use of scutum

The Romans used scutum for the first time in the first and second Samnite War.

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