Roman Battle Shield:
• worn by heavy-armed infantry
• adapted to form of human body
• main form of complete body protection
• single handed combat = soldier completely protected
• deflected arrows, darts, missiles
• protected soldier from hand held weapons
• much larger
• oval shape or rectangular shaped like a DOOR
• semi-cylindrical in shape
• 2.5’ wide x 4.5’ tall
• covered soldier, large enough to reach from the chin to the knees
• protected most of the body
• light enough to be carried in a long battle
• multiple layers of flat strips of right angled wood/wicker work/animal hide glued/tightly woven together
• almost as strong as steel
• edge bound with light sheet bronze or iron
• central raised boss was heavy bronze or iron = weapon = thrust into enemy’s face or chest -> injury/disabled, then sword thrust forward into enemy’s body
• hand grip and an inner strap, hold close to body, leave other arm free for other weapons
• attached to small clip on soldier’s loin belt around waist = readily at hand in case he needed it quickly
• extremely tough and exceptionally durable
• VERY IMPORTANT THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF
• to keep it in shape, EVERY AM, after saturating a piece of cloth with oil, he would begin to rub a heavy ointment of oil into the leather portion of the shield to keep it soft, supple and pliable
• If failed to provide care, certain death in battle for the shield would dry out become hard, stiff and brittle
• soak in water before going on battlefield, even if flaming arrows hit, they were extinguished upon impact by the wet surface
• large size of the shields allowed the soldiers to form a "testudo’’ (Latin for “tortoise”) \tes-tü-dō\ or shield WALL/SHELL that could protect them during an ADVANCE!