3rd and 4thc AD shields

[Chuck Russell]

ok, i am currently working on both a 3rd and 4thc kit. i decided to go with an oval shield for 3rd and a round for 4th. but the problem i am running into now is shield emblem designs. i've looked over the http://www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda-sarson ... terns.html but cant decided on which represents each time period best. now i'm not apart of any group for these kits, i've been studing the time frames on my own and using all of the helpful hints from fectio and segontium etc etc.

any help here?

[Theodosius the Great]

Given that the Notitia Digitatum dates to circa 395 AD, why wouldn't one be as good as another ?

There are other sources like mosiacs and frescos like this one :



~Theo

[Primvs Pavlvs]

Chuck,

James and I talked about this, and we knocked around the idea of just painting the Chi Ro [url:3rghqs99]http://www.encyclopedie-universelle.com/images/chi-ro-monnaie-decentius.jpg[/url] on the shield since this is what we understand Constantine ordered the troops to paint on the shields.

[Robert Vermaat]

ok, i am currently working on both a 3rd and 4thc kit.

Third-century scuta can be based on motifs found on the Dura Europos shields.

Rectangular shield from Armamentarium

Round 3rd c. shield, by Marcus Junkelmann.

which represents each time period best.

The site of Luke Ueda has designs that are best used for the middle to late 4th c., although one could defend that early 4th and early 5th c. would also do.

[Chuck Russell]

man thats a lot of painting for a 3rdc shield. hehe anything more... simpler? heheh

[caiusbeerquitius]

3rd century:
You could use shield 618 from Dura, it´s a lot simpler.
See also these threads here on RAT:

www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=7207
www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=8263&highlight=3rd+shield+painting

For colour use: Historically accurate would be: encaustic, casein, tempera

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

I thought this shield's shape looked strange when I first saw it today.



Doesn't look more like the classical Roman scutum rather than LR ?

OTOH, maybe the artist was just trying to show perspective and created an optical illusion in the process.

Any thoughts ?

~Theo

[Peroni]

Doesn't look more like the classical Roman scutum rather than LR ?

Artists perspective?

possible cavalry shield? (looking at the auxiliary cavalry type H [Heddenheim style] helmet in the top left corner)

[Robert Vermaat]

I thought this shield's shape looked strange when I first saw it today.

Doesn't look more like the classical Roman scutum rather than LR?

The top curve is more rounded than the bottom, therefore I'd say it's an artistic thing, the artist wanted to show a normal 3rd c. (early by the looks of that helmet) scutum? Apparently he got into trouble while laying the lower end, and it became more square. Just my opinion.

[Crispvs]

Where is that mosaic from? I have never seen it before.

Crispvs