Romans in Britain

[Anonymous]

Can anyone help a newbie who is buying an Early Imperial Roman army for Wargaming and wants to know what type of Shield designs the Romans would have been using in Britain just after Mons Graupius?<br>
After talking to several other wargamers there seems to be a debate as to what shape the Auxiliary and Legion soldiers would have had never mind what was on them.<br>
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Any help would be most welcome<br>
<br>
Many thanks<br>
Markus Oblivious <p></p><i></i>

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

Salve,<br>
<br>
During the early empire, the legions generally had the rectangular scutum, but some still used the curve-sided "Augustan" styled scutum.<br>
<br>
The auxilia used the oval shield: [url=http://cheiron.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~trajan/images/hi/3.47.h.jpg" target="top]cheiron.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~trajan/images/hi/3.47.h.jpg[/url]<br>
<br>
<p>Professionals built the Titanic, amateurs built the ark<br>
<br>
<br>
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</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=pelgr003>pelgr003</A> at: 5/24/04 3:54 pm<br></i>

[Crispvs]

Actually, it may have been a little more complicated than that.<br>
A few examples:<br>
-Gnaeus Musius (Legio XIIII aquilifer) - oval scutum.<br>
-M. Flavoleius Cordus (Legio XIIII) - oval scutum<br>
-Annaius Daverzus (Cohors IIII Dalmatarum) - rectangular shield<br>
-C. Castricius Victor (Legio II Adiutrix) - oval scutum<br>
-C. Valerius Secundus (Legio XIIII signifer) - oval shield<br>
-Q. Luccius Faustus (Legio XIIII signifer) - oval shield<br>
-Mainz column bases - four scuta are shown - at least three appear to be intended to show scuta with curving or even pointed top and bottom edges. Of these three two appear to be straight sided and one may have slightly curved sides. The fourth scutum may be rectangular or it may too be intended to represent a shield with straight edges and curving top and bottom edges.<br>
-Mainz column base - one oval shield is shown which appears to be intended to be flat. The soldier carrying it is generally identified as an auxiliary.<br>
-Adamklissi metopes - several legionaries appear to be equipped with shields with curving top and bottom edges and straight(ish) sides.<br>
-Adamklissi metopes - axilia are equipped with flat oval shields.<br>
-A roman shield found in Doncaster was flat (suggesting an auxiliary unit) and had parallel straight sides and slightly curving top and bottom edges.<br>
-Three THIRD CENTURY scuta from Dura were originally rectangular and curving. Most modern reconstructions of early imperial shields are based on these.<br>
-Other third century shields from Dura are flat and oval.<br>
-Trajan's column makes a (perhaps formulaic) distinction between rectangular curved legionary shields and oval flat auxiliary shields.<br>
<br>
I hope this helps<br>
<br>
Crispvs <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=crispvs>Crispvs</A> at: 5/25/04 3:55 am<br></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much for the info guys. Especially Crispvs in-depth examples. I have printed off these pages and now I think a trip down the library is needed to look out the legio designs mentioned above.<br>
<br>
Thanks again <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

First off, almost all these soldiers can be seen in the Imagebase, that saves a trip to the library.<br>
However Musius, Cordus, Daverzus, Valerius Secundus and Faustus are all earlier than Mons Graupius. All the Legio XIV tombstones from Mainz predate the invasion of Britannia, i.e. belong to the period pre 43 AD, 40 years before Mons Graupius. <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>