08-01-2006, 10:54 PM
I concur that the exact translation of the Vegetius quote is difficult for non-Latin speakers [from that period, to be even more accurate] to discern. That soldiers mark their gear is a timeless practice, though, one that corroborates the probability that the shields were marked somewhere with the owner's name (and/or his cohort, legion, name of centurio, et al.). And while I've never seen a reenactor embellish his name on the front of his shield, one must admit that there are two large "nametag" shapes (i.e., tabulum) on the front, to either side of the boss, at least on the most well-known and often-copied ones (VIII and XIIII). Though the tabulum appear blank on the monuments, we're fairly certain now that the monuments were painted in lifelike colors, and the name[s] could presumably have been painted in.
Likewise, having it on the back make sense, since the shield-fronts were entirely covered most of the time except during combat (and probably guard duty), per current thinking. So long as each reenactor unit is fairly uniform about how it's done within their unit (either all on the front or all on the back), I think one would be hard-pressed to discount either method.
M VALERIVS
aka Jim Whitley
Likewise, having it on the back make sense, since the shield-fronts were entirely covered most of the time except during combat (and probably guard duty), per current thinking. So long as each reenactor unit is fairly uniform about how it's done within their unit (either all on the front or all on the back), I think one would be hard-pressed to discount either method.
M VALERIVS
aka Jim Whitley
