Augustan Shield

[Primvs Pavlvs]

I am currently working on a rounded scutum. Would this be correct for a very early Imperial? Also what would be the correct style of shield boss?

[Marcus Mummius]

I am currently working on a rounded scutum. Would this be correct for a very early Imperial? Also what would be the correct style of shield boss?

It would certainly be suitable.

They are still pictured in use on the Adamklissi Metopes, so they almost certainly didn't desappear in the early Imperial period.





Vale,
Jef

[Tarbicus]

A group in France, Pax Augusta, even have fully rounded scuta.
http://www.paxaugusta.net/0Accueil/0cadreaccueil.htm

If you backtrack through their galleries, it seems to be a fairly recent switch from the rectangle.



I'm working on Augustan as well.

[jvrjenivs]

[url:37je0f5q]http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p239/mcbishop/BandC2/?action=view&current=fig030.png[/url]

[Peroni]

That's the republican shield from Fayum in Egypt.

The ones in Jim's post could just as easily be based on the shield cover fragments from Caerleon. It seems to be depicted more on grave stele too. It would appear a more common shape than the rectangular 'Dura Europos' shield shape.

[Paullus Scipio]

A question, Peroni, if I may? We have Praetorians carrying these archaic ( in the 1C A.D) round-topped shields on Praetorian reliefs (which are heavily "restored") as late as Domitian/Nerva, but little/no other iconographic evidence for their use elsewhere, where the rectangular scutum and curved side scutum seem universally depicted. Now Guard units carrying a mix of old and current equipment is quite common ( think Vatican guards in archaic armour, but carrying modern sidearms and radio equipment, or guards at Buckingham Palace in Bearskins and scarlet coats) and we know that old shields were brought out of the temples for religious ceremonies, so would it be fair to say that the only other evidence would be the Caerleon cover fragments? If so, extreme caution would be advised since AFIK, there is some doubt as to who might have owned these, and the cover fragments themselves are somewhat open to interpretation as to shape. Certainly, again only AFIK, one could not conclude with any certainty that these are legionary oval shield covers........
Could you shed a little more light ?

[Tarbicus]

We have Praetorians carrying these archaic ( in the 1C A.D) round-topped shields on Praetorian reliefs (which are heavily "restored") as late as Domitian/Nerva, but little/no other iconographic evidence for their use elsewhere, where the rectangular scutum and curved side scutum seem universally depicted.

There are eight such scuta in Barker's Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome, all taken from iconographic evidence. Of the eight illustrated, the first five all have older style 'barleycorn' umbones, the remaining three round. The first four range from supposedly Legio II Augusta in 21 AD, to a representation of Actium.

A fifth is from Mainz dated to about 75 AD where I Adiutrix and XIV Gemina were present.

The remaining and much later three are associated with praetorians.

[Paullus Scipio]

Sorry, Jim.....I guess I should have made myself clearer - the point of my question to Adrian was to try to establish, if we can, the latest date when the 'old' Republican oval design might still be in general use.

There are eight such scuta in Barker's Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome, all taken from iconographic evidence. Of the eight illustrated, the first five all have older style 'barleycorn' umbones, the remaining three round. The first four range from supposedly Legio II Augusta in 21 AD, to a representation of Actium.

A fifth is from Mainz dated to about 75 AD where I Adiutrix and XIV Gemina were present.

The remaining and much later three are associated with praetorians.

This is not quite correct. There are not 8 oval shields illustrated, but 6. The other two you refer to are a curved sided/flat topped scuta, and a straight sided scuta....these come from Mainz c.75 A.D (no.s v and vi). No. (vii) is the completely different slightly dished oval of the Aquilifer Gnaeus Musius of Legio XIV Gemina, and no. (viii) the Praetorian shield I referred to as archaic, mainly because of its 'barleycorn' umbo.

That leaves us with no's (i-iv). The last three do indeed come from the late republican relief in the Vatican museum ( perhaps late 1C B.C.) of a Bireme, which is often associated with Actium, because of the crocodile on the bow. I suspect, from the helmet types depicted, that it might be much earlier....or else Hellenistic types of helmet persisted later than generally thought.
No (i) is from the battle relief on the Arc d'Orange, and is more likely to be a curved sided, flat topped variety ( definitely if the bottom, with its "L" re-inforcement is anything to go by), but the top appears quite rounded.

How do I know all this?

The originals of those drawings were made by me !! :wink: :wink:

So then, as I suggested , no clear iconographic evidence for 1 C A.D. Augustan use of the old Republican full-oval, barleycorn scutum then, (except the Praetorian reliefs) other than the shield covers ( perhaps) which I was hoping Adrian would shed some further light on........

[Tarbicus]

This is not quite correct. There are not 8 oval shields illustrated, but 6.

Well, even if you illustrated them, if they were in the relief as curved all over... :wink: I'm not gonna get into a barney about how artists interpret other artists, so I'll amend it to 6.

So, 6 then.