Weapons

[brotus maximus]

the shield has had alot of changes in design etc, but its not really a weapon. Though in medievil germany, they did add spikes to the bottom and top of shield and had to duel it out, using only those shields. And if u hit or pushed someone with it, it probably would do a bit of damage anyway, but i still wouldn't class it as a weapon. So in the favourite weapon thread i would have to say a shield is

Have to disagree with you there I'm afraid In the hands of a Roman soldier it most definitely was used as a weapon to hit the enemy, using the boss to punch with, and the edges to smack on an enemy's foot or up into his chin to make him falter or lose balance. Search around for reenactor accounts of its use in this way.

 

Jim.

so in a way it could be used for slight offence but nothing in the way of all out like with the use of the smaller arm sheilds the gladiators(or some of them any way) used in battle. but they could be used to catch an enemy off guard enough to slip (hopefully) a sword in and give a quick job to the enemy

[caldrail]

Are you kidding? Thats a heavy shield with a metal boss thats been shoved at you by a sturdy, healthy, agressive soldier. You get a scutum in the face you'll know about it - Briefly.

[brotus maximus]

so as I siad before to catch the opponent off guard to get them to slip so you can go in and ah-ha! you got them with your own weapon(hopefully)

[caldrail]

A point not covered adequately in this discussion is the use of open or close order battle drill. Close order, which is how we normally see roman soldiers behaving, is a tight defensive formation, or perhaps used as a column of men to push deep into the enemy. The soldiers in this formation are restricted because they can't rotate the wounded or tired, nor can they do much else but stab.

 

Open order drill allows the throwing of pila, rotating tired or wounded men, and a more aggressive open style of swordplay which we know the legions were trained for. Although they were indeed taught to stab as a primary method of attack, the blades were sharpened for a reason.