Battle Shields - The Roman Legionary Shield

While the true origin of the Roman shield remains unknown, it is generally believed to have been influenced by the early Greeks or Italians. Roman Shields were originally rectangular pieces that deflected arrows and provided a measure of protection to the wearer’s front. The artwork of this decade shows that by the 3rd century BC they seemed to have evolved into the Roman Shields.

The Roman's used two pieces of wood glued together to make their shields which resemble today's version of plywood. The shells of the Roman Shields consisted of canvas and calf skins. The top and bottom of Roman Shields were then outfitted with a metal – usually iron – edging that protected the edges in battle or when simply placed on the ground.  While in battle, a warrior would have his hand on a handle  inside the shield that would facilitate rotation in order to avoid hits from other warriors.

Roman Shields certainly gave the soldier more protection than entering battled armed only with a sword, but they could be pierced by high-velocity arrows, such as those used by Parthian archers. They could also be splintered by direct and forceful blows from a sword.

Interestingly though, Roman Shields were not meant to be used by single soldiers as nothing more than tools of battle. Roman Shields could be interlocked on the sides and top to form a protective shell over the soldiers.  When in battle and under fire, the Roman Soldiers were able to come together and interlock their shields to form a protective layer over and around themselves. Following this, the Roman soldiers could leave the protection of their Roman shield formation swiftly.  With the playing field leveled, they could engage in hand-to-hand combat with a greater degree of success.

With the odds eminently in their favor, they could swiftly disperse from the formation created by their Roman Shields and continue ground fighting.