Gladiator Mosaic - Kos

[Martin Moser]

To keep your shield close is more to rest then a good defending position. However it covers a lot from your body, but you can't move it as you can't move behind/with it. And you have no chance for a proper strike.
So it is more like a picture of the resting moment in the fight. IMHO.... :wink:

Well, I couldn't disagree more :-) )
Look at all the depictions of gladiators in the middle of a fight, the larger the shield the more they are (in most cases) leaning into it and seem to be doing pretty well that way ....