Rectangle scutum in Caesarian times

[Matthew Amt]

Well, "oblong" covers a lot of ground. Artwork and the Fayum shield both indicate that what Polybius meant was not a strict rectangle but had curved sides and ends, like these:

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/repscuta.jpg

Whereas by "rectangular" most of us mean something with straight sides, like this:

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/Qscu2.jpg

The Republican "oval" oblong shield was generally taller than the Imperial rectangle. Possibly thicker, too, so it was heavier. The question is just when the shorter rectangle was introduced, either in its straight-sided form, or the "transitional" curve-sided/straight-ended type:

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/augscutum.jpg

(We tend to call that one "Augustan" since it shows up in artwork of his era, but it's still seen on Trajan's Column right alongside the straight-sided type.)

I don't think we can push the shorter types all the way back to Polybius, but possibly as far back as Marius. So determining the actual dates of the artwork in question is very important!

Valete,

Matthew