What did the back of a Late Roman Shield look like?

[Poftim]

Hello,

Are their any finds or any information about what the back of a 4th century Roman shield might have looked like?

[Uwe Bahr]

Hello Eric,

one of the reliefs from an ivory chest found in Ephesus, modern Selcuk in Turkey, shows the inside of a shield that is decorated with (may-be) painted stars and obviously some kind of crescent. The men shown there are not Hellenistic in my view because You can see a soldier with the typical Roman equipment (mail cuirass). The man who holds the round shield seems to be a cavalryman standing beside his horse, thus the shield could be a parma equestris:

[url:3p4f0726]http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/image/31700677[/url]

Greets - Uwe

[Robert Vermaat]

This scene from the Piazza Armerina mosaics shows the back of a scutum as unpainted:


Of course, we also have the heavily decorated Dura Europos scutum:

[Poftim]

This scene from the Piazza Armerina mosaics shows the back of a scutum as unpainted:


Of course, we also have the heavily decorated Dura Europos scutum:

Well, I'm following your instructions on making a late shield, and I'm at the point right now where I can paint on the back. That is why I wanted to know. Was it a more personal thing that was induhvidually done, or was it a unit thing?

[Robert Vermaat]

Was it a more personal thing that was individually done, or was it a unit thing?

Individual.

[Poftim]

Was it a more personal thing that was individually done, or was it a unit thing?

Individual.

Cool, thank you. The article you wrote is really good by the way

[Robert Vermaat]

Thanks. :oops: