Roman soldier shields were used as part of the Roman army tactics to create an impenetrable barrier which lead to much of their success. In the Roman history, the soldiers had carried a number of shields. They fought with short swords, daggers for stabbing … When surrounded, the Romans formed a square formation with interlocking shields. In the past, this formation has been considered to be a variation on the Germanic shield-wall and thus a symptom of the "barbarisation" of the Roman army. And quite unsurprisingly, the Roman military system of this time was inspired by its more-advanced neighbor (and enemy) – the Etruscans. Facts about Roman Shields 4: the shape of Roman shields. It was employed for the hoplite phalanx formation. Just before contact with the enemy, the soldiers moved in very close together so that each man's shield helped to protect the man on his left. Here, the front row of soldiers would hold their shields in front of them to protect soldiers from projectiles. The Romans also used shield walls, this was in fact their standard fighting formation. The combat formation used by the Greeks and Romans was called the phalanx. The Romans adopted it when they switched from the military formation of the hoplite phalanx of the Greeks to the formation with maniples. Another formation was known as the pig's head. This involved the soldiers standing side by side in ranks. Posed by English guardsmen acting the part of Roman soldiers. Clypeus was carried by the Roman soldiers in the early days of ancient Rome. This protected the soldiers from overhead projectiles. Along with looking ridiculously cool, the formation was also so strong that it could double as a bridge. Historically used with cavalry, the formation involves a mass of troops in a triangular wedge with the tip charging at the enemy. The scutum (English: / ˈ s k uː t əm / SKOO-təm, Classical Latin: [ˈskuːtũː]; plural scuta) was a type of shield used among Italic peoples in antiquity, and then by the army of ancient Rome starting about the fourth century BC. Also known as the tortoise formation, it is still the most famous formation known about the Roman army. The Roman shield, or scutum, was a central part of the soldier’s defense. It was typically made from two sheets of wood that were glued together, then covered with canvas and leather. The infantry was placed into a wedge-shaped formation and would push into the enemy with a wall of shields. Roman Army Reenactment with photographs of battle formations, weaponry, shields, swords, standards, sandals, helmets, fighting. When laying siege to a fort, they used a formation … By locking their shields together like […] Facts about Roman Shields 5: clypeus. They served completely different purposes. 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