Coulston says interlocking scutum?

[richsc]

I am at the jcl convention in Richmond and this lecturer on siege warfare, Dr. Greg Daughtery of Randolph Macon throws a picture of a testudo up and says to 200 high school students that the formation was strong because the shields had a metal lip to let them overlock. When i asked his source he only said "Coulston and that's good enough for me." Matt Amt hasn't heard of this one, and I'm sure someone here would have mentioned it. Has anyone heard this before? Did Coulston say that?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

well, they do have metal 'lips' if he means edges.....I suppose in a way the edges and clamps can help the scuta 'interlock' to a degree.....
If, on the other hand, he means a grooved purpose made lip....new to me anyway...B&C i can't recall seeing this, but others may know better...

[M. Demetrius]

The existence of any kind of locking mechanism would revolutionize our understanding of how Roman combat worked, wouldn't it? Seems like we'd find something about that in Vegetius, or some other Roman military source, not to mention archeological finds. But hey, who knows?

[Crispvs]

Well, Coulston is the expert on Trajan's Column, where testudos are depicted three times, but to extrapolate from the images there that there was some sort of device for locking shields together I think would be going too far. If Coulston really has said this, then he must have some other evidence extra to the column. Perhaps Mike Bishop can comment.

Incidentally, I have been part of a testudo on many occasions and have never found that there was any need to do any more than pinch the edge of my shield together with the edge of the shield of the man next to me. That said, of course, no-one has been casting rocks down on us when we have been demonstrating the formation.

Crispvs

[M. Demetrius]

There are some who attended Lafe next year who can attest to the sudden impact problems from partial hay bales. Some would probably have been rendered "killed" if there had been a Marshall on scene, according to reports.

[D B Campbell]

When i asked his source he only said "Coulston and that's good enough for me."

I like a man who's sure of his sources. :roll:

Did Coulston say that?

I suppose he may well have said it, but it's curious that Google and Scirus searches produce no hits for the conjunction "Coulston + testudo". :? I'd've thought that "the testudo formation was strong" because there were dozens of burly legionaries holding it up.

... this lecturer on siege warfare, Dr. Greg Daughtery of Randolph Macon ...

May we briefly veer off topic to hear what other pearls of wisdom Dr Daugherty was sharing? A lecture on siege warfare sounds interesting.

[M. Demetrius]

Imagine getting EX testudinem with all those interlocked bits having withstood rocks, bricks, barrels of liquid, flowerpots, etc., to bend the latches.

I guess I don't buy into the concept. Nothing much was standardized that closely in those days, and the latch mechanisms would have to have been very close tolerance manufacture, so that ANYbody could fit his scutum to the next.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I wonder if he is aware of the special diet the Romans kept their battering Rams on? :mrgreen:

[Robert Vermaat]

I wonder if he is aware of the special diet the Romans kept their battering Rams on? :mrgreen:

Hard tack

[M. Demetrius]

:lol: :lol:

[richsc]

A lecture on siege warfare sounds interesting.

Yes, the Virginia Junior Classical League convention had 1600 Latin students from across the state come together for tests, contests, and lectures, among other things. I was a chaperone so got to attend the lectures; this one was on siege warfare and very good, except for the mention of the locking scuta.

The JCL venue is actually very encouraging for us reenactors as there is a huge interest in Roman military among the students, but particularly among the best at the Virginia Governor's School. Worth another thread as a trip report.

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

I guess it would practically impossible to maintain as well.. Such a 'lip' would be easily damaged during normal combat, and oh oh, what happens if you don't fit in the testudo anymore when needed?