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I have a work-in-progress scutum, mostly based on the Legio XX how-to page -- door-skin plywood and integral boss-hole, but bending-board back bracing and a rather small Deepeeka boss, none attached yet. (I didn't realize how easy the brass would be to work until after I had ordered it.) It's curved so that if I lie it face-up on the floor, its width is about 2.9 times its height. I have it marked for a rounded rectangle curved to a part-cylinder, but haven't cut the corners to round it yet.
I just cut the boss holes, picked it up, and tried to swing it around to see if it feels right. But it felt very rear-heavy; the top wanted to tip onto me. Am I missing something about how to hold it? Have I built it way wrong in some way? Will it handle better after I get more of it finished? I can't imagine that it's meant to rest on my head or shoulders, or that I'm supposed to resist the tilt with my wrist.
Finally, this is my first message here. I started assembling a costume because I am making a short film that has a guy in ancient costume as part of the cast. But I wanted it to be a mostly accurate costume. I would have settled for fake stuff that looked right on film, but that costs pretty much the same as getting it right, so I jumped in.
I live in Redmond, near Seattle. I'm 44 and married.
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Hi Steve,
Welcome to RAT.
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Wellcome to the forum Steve, you will find the guys on here extremely helpfull with any problems you need sorting!
I find my completed scutum lies the same way and rest on my shoulder!
Personally, I prefer that to one that wants to tip in at the bottom, which would constantly be banging on your shins and feet!
It also is more natural and allows your shoulder to reinforce the shoveing of the scutum into your enemy! :wink:
Good luck with your re-enactment!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
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Wow, quick replies!
I guess that makes sense. I had friends in SCA years ago, and they waved their shields around a lot when bashing, but those shields were much smaller and needed to move to defend. I suppose a scutum doesn't need to move much by comparison.
I also didn't try holding the scutum while wearing my lorica. That's bulky enough that it would change the angle of a scutum leaning on a shoulder.
I'll have to try it out for feel and look with the lorica, which means getting the subarmilis at least somewhat in order.
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Well, if you do legionary reenactment you might of course wanna know how to carry it on a march. I'm not familiar with that, haven't read my copy of "Die Legionen des Augustus" by Marcus Junkelmann yet.
But I use my scutum regularly for my gladiatorial training, and yes you are right, you don't need to move it so much back and forth like you do with these smaller shields. You basically move your whole body a little to the left or right and and in most cases that's it. If a strike comes from above and wants to aim at your throat etc. you just need to lift your arm a bit to raise the scutum. Because the thing is huge you got covered yourself just with small movements.
It's bitching to carry the thing back and forth from the training esp. when traveling by public transportation like I do. At the moment there's nothing else left for me than to grip the handle and just carry it. I guess I do have to read "Die Legionen..." to solve that problem although I'm just doing gladiatorial fights. :lol:
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As written for my short film, the armored man is on a busy modern city street, trying to squeeze through a crowd of pedestrians. How would he march if he were trying to balance looking like a realist Roman soldier and fitting in with the demands of a modern city?
I would assume that on the march through territory presumed safe most soldiers -- all but the picket teams -- would have their shields slung for easiest carrying, rather than carried at ready. Through suspicious territory but not in immediate danger, they'd carry them in a way that's closer to ready, but still not a combat stance. For the film I'd probably choose the close-to-ready non-combat position, whatever that might be.
Another thought along those lines: If he were to ask people to step aside to make way for him, how might he say it in Latin? I figured a Roman soldier probably wouldn't be as deferential as to say the equivalent of "excuse me". If he were trying to be polite, I'd expect something more like, "please step aside, citizens" -- a polite command, but still a command rather than a request.
(I'm sorry if that's too much topic drift for this bulletin board. I'm not sure where one draws the line here between something that's acceptably distant from the original subject and so far from it that a new message is in order.)[/img]
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If the grip is in the center (vertically) then holding a scutum overhand as it should be held will naturally result in it tipping back at you- the pivot point is the underside of the grip which is actually a bit below the centerline. You certainly could adjust this if you like to make it tip forward, although it seems to me better the other way given that problems will be coming from before and above you (overhead swings) and thus it would be better to have the natural movement of the shield be back to you.
Perhaps new legionaries who'd trained with them for months would develop the strength to hold them straight out with their hands also straight, but I doubt too many of use could. So that necessitates keeping one's hand pointed down and using the back of the hand to keep the scutum vertical. As Svenja points out, the scutum is more likely a shield you get behind anyway, not one you necessarily parry much with- it's just too big for that- so I wouldn't expect a ton of holding it out at arm's length anyway.
Carrying it comfortably would be simply at the side like you would carry a briefcase. To move through a crowd, I'd almost imagine the scutum being used as a bit of a fender- to direct people around him so moving it ahead a bit at times and sort of moving it to his side as he steps into the 'gap' he's created. Not so much putting it straight out or moving it to the right so much, but just little pushes, etc. to the left, wherever possible actually moving that way as his 'fender would mostly allow him to move to the right of people.
For a close-to-ready position, I'd think it more facing forward- so held out a little further so as not to interfere with walking but now protecting his front.
As for what he might say/ do to move through a crowd, well the situation you have is not one I can easily see in reality- fully-armed and armored legionaries I'd think would be on the way someplace officially and thus politeness would definitely be minimal. And actually the sight and sound of fully-armed and armored legionaries could well get enough attention that people would move aside without having to be told...
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