Rome’s earliest shields were round, following Etruscan and Greek precedent, before the Republican period saw the adoption of an oval scutum combining vertical curvature with broader frontal coverage than a round shield could offer. This reproduction offers a further build option within that oval Republican tradition, recreating a form confirmed archaeologically by finds such as the Fayum scutum.
Republican Scutum, Oval Pattern III
The scutum was the primary form of body protection carried by Roman soldiers, deflecting incoming missiles as well as absorbing the impact of hand-held weapons in close combat. This reproduction offers a further alternative build within our Republican-pattern scutum range, recreating the oval form that preceded the rectangular Imperial shield. Vertical curvature helped deflect blows while the oval profile maintained broad frontal coverage.
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