Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Roman shields were not made of metal because wood was more durable. A metal shield would be subject to rust and corrosion. They did have a metal boss on the front of the shield and possibly a metal handgrip wrapped in leather.
Ancient shields, not just Roman shields, were rarely made from metal, unless it were a ceremonial shield of some type. There are several reasons for this. Metal was expensive. Metal rusted. Metal was shiny and cast off glare. Now this glare may have been great to blind the enemy in the sunshine, but it could also work to blind the good guys in a surrounding type of formation. (This was the reason that the Roman army's armour was not shiny as Hollywood would have you believe, it had a dull finish). There were times when silence was necessary and metal could be noisy if brushed up against a man's armor.
Roman shields were made of three layers of strips of wood which were cross glued. There was a metal boss in the center with a hand grip. the entire shield was covered in leather and the outer edges were reinforced either with metal or with heavier leather. Every shield had a leather shield cover.
Roman soldiers protected themselves from arrows by locking shields with the people next to them (first row of soldiers). Then, the row behind them locked shields and held them over the heads of the first row. The third row back locked shields and held them straight up, forming a nearly impenetrable wall. This formation was called the Tortoise, because of the likeness to a tortoise's shell.
LORICAE
The purpose of the shield was twofold. First it was a protective device, preventing javelins, arrows or sword thrusts from hitting the man. Secondly, it could be used as an offensive weapon by pushing the opponent off balance.
Testudo, literally means tortoise. In the Roman army it was a form of defense for attackers. The soldiers held their shields above their heads and along the sides for the formation. The shields were interlocked. This tactic protected the attaching force from missiles shot from walls and from the sides.
It is the shield Romans used in battle, also know as a Scutum. They are in three shapes rectangular,oval, and circular.
Roman shields are made from lava rock and stone.
Roman soldiers protected themselves from arrows by locking shields with the people next to them (first row of soldiers). Then, the row behind them locked shields and held them over the heads of the first row. The third row back locked shields and held them straight up, forming a nearly impenetrable wall. This formation was called the Tortoise, because of the likeness to a tortoise's shell.
LORICAE
The purpose of the shield was twofold. First it was a protective device, preventing javelins, arrows or sword thrusts from hitting the man. Secondly, it could be used as an offensive weapon by pushing the opponent off balance.
A Roman soldier's shield was called a scutum.
It was a strategy used by roman legion's, it was commonly called a shield wall
58cm
Roman shields, like all other Roman weapons and protective gear, were made in the various armories scattered throughout the empire.
Testudo, literally means tortoise. In the Roman army it was a form of defense for attackers. The soldiers held their shields above their heads and along the sides for the formation. The shields were interlocked. This tactic protected the attaching force from missiles shot from walls and from the sides.
It is the shield Romans used in battle, also know as a Scutum. They are in three shapes rectangular,oval, and circular.
Roman shields as well as the other military equipment was made by workers in the armories which were scattered throughout the empire.
There is no given year that marks the beginning of the use of a shield, Roman or otherwise. The shield is as old as warfare itself. The Roman used their shields all during their prominence and when the empire fell, the medieval knights used shields until gunpowder made them obsolete.