Gladiator shields - construction tips for reenactors

[Lugorix]

I've been working on putting together an Equite kit to help the Roman groups in some of the upcoming events. I don't have any references on Roman things, especially gladiators, other than what's on-line, talking with you guys and the Gladiator School here in Texas.

Looking at the shield of this type of gladiator, I am a little stumped as to how to make the handle the right way. Now I've made lots'o shields in my time, but they've all hand convenient bosses of one type of another. What advice/pictures can you offer to illustrate how the handle is made and attached? I want good information since I am limited only by what is said/shown. All I know is it's a circle, nearly 24", and has no boss. Someone please show a better way than attaching a barn door handle!

[M. Demetrius]

Lugorix,
Here's one possible choice. This one is taken from Rome's Enemies: Spanish Armies 218BC-19BC as was detailed on a caetra or round shield. You won't need the carry loops, and you could just as easily make this from wood as iron for our purposes.

In the end, though, it's still basically about the same as a garden gate grip, which figures, since it's basically the same function. If you go with iron, I'd say 14 or 16 ga would be plenty, and a few rivets should do the trick, maybe three on each side. The metal grip might help balance the weight, too, as this sort of flat shield tends to be "front heavy" in my experience, especially when fitted with a boss...but the Equite shield didn't have a boss, so it should be better balanced to begin with.

[Lugorix]

Thanks Demetrius. Interesting picture. So the grip on that artefact is iron, not wood, if I understand you correctly. It still looks like a knuckle-rubber any way it's made. Which gets me thinking.....

I've been under the impression that the Equite shield had a center-grip. But do we know of this type of gladiator to have used a two-point grip? Is there iconographical evidence that shows the backside of these shields, or an image that would show from the front the relative positon of the arm to know if it's a two-point or center grip?

[M. Demetrius]

Well, I'm not sure where all the hard evidence comes from, but the shield is called a "Parma", which is the same shield that a vexillifer or aquilifer carried in the army...and since the games were designed to reflect the military aspect of things (Equites--horsemen) and they being representative of light cavalry, it would figure that they'd be similar.

The general understanding of these gladiators seems to be as much a Celtic battle as Roman: Roman cavalry fought on horseback, unless the horse was badly injured, then they became light infantry, and probably in a lot of trouble. Many Celt cavalrymen rode to the battle on horse, then dismounted to fight, as you know. But the Equites fought in both ways--first on horse with spears, then on the ground with sword--some say gladius, some say spatha.

The standard or eagle bearers used shields with bosses, though, so I'm just going on the basis of Gladiators and Caesars and the reconstructions displayed from Junkleman's group, that the Equites shields were without bosses. I rather doubt that many of the shield flat pieces have survived, most of what we know comes from mosaics and paintings. As far as I know, all the Roman shields from this period (with the exception of the Provocator) were single hand, center grip shields.

Hope that helps.

[Martin Kealey]

If the shield you are planning to make is an equites parma, Dr. Junkelmann describes the ones he had made as of pressed leather with a grip made of two leather straps on the back that cross over in the centre, along with a smaller strap along the edge. When on horseback, the forearm is passed through the crossed straps, and the edge strap is gripped by the hand. On foot, the crossed straps may be gripped at the centre by the hand.

[M. Demetrius]

That's an interesting strap configuration. Is there a picture of that anywhere that we can look at? I think I have the idea from your description, but if we wanted to duplicate that, a picture would be very helpful.

[Martin Kealey]

Regrettably, no pictures. The description comes from Das Spiel mit dem Todt where he records the problems constructing a cavalry shield with a centre grip capability that would also enable a rider to hold the reins of a horse. The strap configuration was actually inspired by some 15th century Turkish cavalry shields in the (if I remember correctly) Landeschut Museum. While not exactly drawn from a Roman example, the practicality of the design is admirable.

[M. Demetrius]

Well, it's to be an Equites Parma, but for a gladiator without a horse...so I am not sure all the detail for a rider's shield would be needed. Plain, flat rigid grip would suffice, I reckon. It would be tricky to get the lengths of the loops just right--too loose and they'd not work for the two point grip, too tight, and they'd not work for the one point grip. Hmm. I'll bet there's lots of trial and error in that process.

[Lugorix]

If the shield you are planning to make is an equites parma, Dr. Junkelmann describes the ones he had made as of pressed leather with a grip made of two leather straps on the back that cross over in the centre, along with a smaller strap along the edge. When on horseback, the forearm is passed through the crossed straps, and the edge strap is gripped by the hand. On foot, the crossed straps may be gripped at the centre by the hand.

I remember reading that somewhere before. Now that makes more sense to me. I'm not sure what "pressed leather" is in terms of a shield though.

Were some shields from this period made of wicker and covered with leather? Forgive me for not knowing the lineage of shield types in your side of the Alps. Could an equite parma be made from wicker and leather?