The Praetorian Guard, Rome’s elite imperial bodyguard, maintained an oval shield well into the Imperial period even as the wider legionary establishment had largely transitioned to the rectangular scutum, a distinction confirmed by the surviving Aquileia tombstone and continuing in evidence into Domitian’s reign at the close of the 1st century AD. This reproduction recreates that oval Praetorian pattern, offering a historically grounded piece for an elite guard impression distinct from the ordinary legionary’s rectangular shield.
Praetorian Guard Oval Scutum
The Praetorians used an oval shield early in their history, a form confirmed by a surviving tombstone from Aquileia, in continuous use into the reign of Domitian (81 to 96 AD). This distinguishes Praetorian shield practice from the rectangular scutum more commonly associated with the ordinary legionary of the same period. This reproduction recreates that oval Praetorian pattern, styled after Rome’s elite imperial bodyguard.
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