Is the Short Sword and Shield Overrated?

[rrgg]

If you say it's inferior, then it must be so, Henry. I guess that ends the argument. The problem with listing a finite number of "possibilities" is that there are always more possibilities.

There are more possibilities yes, I'm just trying to find the one that makes the most sense. More sense than 'the Romans were better because no one else figured out how to use short swords instead of spears' or 'the Romans switched to the sword for no real reason whatsoever'.