I have discovered the real secret to the Roman Army shield (scutum) and it will literally blow your mind. Shield from Fabrica Cacti, sword from Dynasty Forge.
That sounds very plausible. Roman Soldiers marched with wagons and non combatants like cooks and artisans if I've understood the Metatron and Lindybeige correctly. So it would be interesting to see if that made a difference
@@QlueDuPlessis They surely were accompanied by non-fighting staff, but the legionaries themselves would often have some expertise as artisans in various fields. Those who had these skills were regarded as 'immunes', with higher wages and the exemption from patrols, ditch digging and so on. They also carried their own personal equipment during march (pots, digging tools, axes), and they mounted their own tents every evening, so that if shields were ever used as shelters, it would have been a very serious emergency situation.
@@tl8211 That might well be, but we need to keep in mind that these tasks were typically carried out by cavalry and auxiliaries (flat shields, as far as we know :) ).
@@pierdurin Not necessarily an emergency, it could just be that you are resting for a few minutes and a couple of guys can get together with their shields over their heads to get out of the rain.
@@Meevious If we're going to be pedantic, it helps not to be wrong ;) "woollen" is also a noun, specifically wool that has not been combed. Combed wool is "worsted", carded wool is "woollen". So a modern suit made from wool is not woollen, it is worsted. It's also irrelevant because you're responding to someone who didn't use the word let alone misuse it ;)
Matt Leaning against shield: It's a great shelter Me: Wtf it's not even like blocking the rain going towards most of his body Matt lying on the wet ground with the shield on top: I'm gonna go to sleep Me: Oh shit genius
If I'd have been a roman, I'd have had a shield twice as big, with a little chimney cut into it, a metal stove attached to the back and a shelf for my tablet (the wax sort! ). Maybe some wheels fitted to make carrying easier. I like the little comforts. I'm sure my centurion would have thought it a brilliant idea and implemented it throughout the Legion! 👍
@@MrBottlecapBill thats the usage of the ponchos, i can get a poncho lean too up in 2 or 3 minuets, a debris lean too will take atleast an hour, more if i dont have ready cordage.
@@mrspeigle1 - I've found that using local vegetation to make a lean-to inevitably strips the local biosphere down to the bone, especially if you've got a number of (in my case) Boy Scouts doing it in the same general area. Can it be done? Sure. It is a good idea? Not if you've got a poncho.
@@kevinschultz6091 it's not quite that bad for a solo but you are absolutely correct when you're talking about a group. Though in my humble opinion if you have room for a poncho you also have room for a tube tent. Fits right in my cargo pockets, weighs nothing and the only way I'm losing it is if I lose my pants. Plus it'll give you better protection then a poncho lean-to. Still gear is no substitute for knowledge and shelter building is core knowledge
I know this was designed to be a bit tongue in cheek, but the shape is almost identical to clay roof tiles. If you stacked them overlapping, one column up, one column down, you've just created a completely waterproof roof. As you said, the Romans rarely went anywhere in small numbers, so 50-100 shields with some light framing could make a very nice roof for the soldiers underneath. Anyone who has been in the military will tell you that when it gets cold, you'll huddle together with your buddies closer than you'd want to admit back home, so the roof wouldn't need to be very large to cover a lot of men.
Spartan mothers actually would tell their sons going off to war, "come back with your shield, or on it... or if it rains, then under it so you don't catch cold"
@@sundhaug92 It's largely believe that the meaning behind the saying about with the shield or on it is that the first thing that you'd like ditch if you ran away from battle would be your shield since it's a large and fairly heavy item. On it means that you fought and were either killed or severely wounded and the shield was used as a makeshift litter to carry you/your body back home on.
Just as the gladius was also used as an engineering tool, so thus did the scutum have multiple uses. Perhaps we need to get out of our modern way of thinking about everything being a specialized tool when we are looking at ancient history. Even look at modern backpackers doing the Appalachian Trail, one packs things that have multiple uses and not specialized tools. Great Video.
You may think this is somewhat silly but nothing that increases the comfort of the common soldier isn't silly. As would Chieftan say, whey they would get new tank first question any tanker asks is not about armor or gun penetration but "is there enough room to sleep on it?"
It is 32 BC A battle has just ended Soldiers look at each other, seeing their missing comrades and the hround littered with dead The sky goes dark and the gods start to send down their piss from the heavens... No one: Legionnaire Easton: hey lets build a fort out of our shields!
semi-cylindrical shields were used way before that and gradually changed their outline from oval to rectangles. we know the latin peoples (includeing the roman people, if not their city) used the semi-cylindrical shields since as early as 3000BC
Awesome, having camped in all the varieties of Canadian weather with every conceivable type of shelter had never thought of how the Roman shield could make one! You got my subscribe on this one
Ah yes, the character building camping under a poncho, with your SLR clutched close, I remember it well Matt, quite fondly actually, even the time I went down with exposure lol.
Yeah, I did this in Boy Scouts for the ….outdoor survival merit badge(?), I think. It sucked, long and hard. We also managed to completely strip a hillside of vegiation in our attempt to build shelters, before ALSO throwing our ponchos over them to actually make them moderately waterproof.
@@wierdalien1 .. do you have confirmation on that? I know rounded ceramic pipes and tiles go back to Minoan times, but shields go back further and given other cultures can we be certain rounded rectangular shields did not predate that shield shape?
The secret I want the answer to is how roman soldiers managed to hold two throwing spears (pila?) and a huge shield at the same time, all while standing (and probably walking) close enough together to be able to form a testudo. I'd already hit people accidentally if I only had to hold a single pilum...
@@Sharklops Wait, you mean bending them? Isn't a large part of the pilum made out of wood? Wouldn't you then have to unbend the pilum (quite carefully, because I imagine it won't fly properly if it isn't straight) and attach it to the stick _while in combat_ if you want to throw it, all while still holding a shield?
@@qwertyuiopzxcfgh sorry I guess I should have made it clear I was joking around. In discussions about the pilum people always seem to get worked up over the soft iron shanks and how they were made that way so they bent if they stuck in a shield when thrown - which would encumber whoever was holding that shield and make it harder for the spears to be thrown back at the Romans. My "fashionable belt" theory is another alternative :)
Best way would be something like this www.historic-uk.com/assets/Images/romansoldiersmarching.jpg?1390899979 or similar where the top of the pila is against your shoulder, it'll point pretty much straight up then, and not be in the way.
I mean.... the design that makes them such good shelters, makes them good shields. I think its a related coincidence. Their drastic curved nature lets them act as an effective shield wall even on the corner of a formation. Or for a solo soldier it covers three sides. Because they are curved, you can stand with it next to you or above you and the shield doesn't get in other soldiers' way as much. The curved design redirects arrows and spears instead of stopping them. Overall, very useful things that apply to rain and wind too.
Roman soldiers were regarded as highly trained, prize investments, and it was important to try and keep 'em reasonably 'comfortable' when possible. The army had masseurs that traveled with them, and those expensive baths they built in Great Britain weren't just for the 'higher ups'.
Ahhhhh experimental archeology at its finest... also maybe they could have made it a makeshift litter for the wounded in a pinch or carry apples lots and lots of apples.
In case you know German, Marcus Junkelmann did a lot on that topic including a march over the Alps with a company of volunteers with full Roman equipment (late Republican/Augustean era). And full equipment means everything not just arms and armour.
@@Segalmed I understand that a legion had everything to make a town from scratch on them; What I meant though was one man with full military equipment as he would have on him on the battlefield - to simulate the freak occurrence of him becoming lost/isolated etc and having to spend a night or two camping alone.
@@arx3516 No public one to my knowledge. Junkelmann himself used to sell DVDs through his website one of which concerns this trip. Don't know whether it's still available. In his book "Die Legionen des Augustus" (there's a recent updated edition) he includes a detailed description (with photos). There are quite a number of publicly available videos on his work on gladiatorial combat though.
Ah, but did the samurai know the ancient incantation for driving away rain clouds? "Raine raine goe to Spain: faire weather come againe." Of course, those darn lazy kids of today have simplified it to the much less potent: "Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day."
A true samurai has accepted the fact that it is only natural to become soaked by the rain and it will not test his resolve. He will remain stoic and act as if there was the no rain.
I bet you could overlap the shields like roof tiles and make a simple shelter with the addition of a few poles. Even just standing them up to make a simple windbreak around a campfire would help.
Just one problem: In the morning the shield will be much heavier because it will have soaked up quite a bit of water. For that reason soldiers had more or less watertight shield covers the shields were stored in when not in immediate danger of attack.
Wow. I feel like marching and camping isn't discussed enough in military equipment. World War One French equipment seems particularly awful. But as an experienced hiker the Roman Scutum looks like half a shelter. Put a blanket on the ground and a cloak over your feet and that would be dry and warm. Not sure any other shields till the buckler have any camp utility.
Let us not forget the birrus britannicus, the Legionary poncho. One important point about wool is that, well oiled with lanolin it is largely waterproof, but even if wet it will still keep you warm
Well I wasn't expecting that. Being from Oz I started wondering about the hot & dry application for Romans in non British weather, and once again that shield idea could still work.
On a snowy hill, you can sit on the inside and grip the shield at the boss between your legs for recreational use. One can use the boss as a pot to heat water. It's not a shield, it's a leatherman.
This might genuinely be a real discovery. Everyone is so obsessed with big battles and fighting they forget what 99.99% of warfare consists of, or the deep subtle importance of it. Dry rested soldiers fighter better than soggy tired ones.
Hello, about a year ago you mentioned that you were writing a book about non regulation swords. I am just asking because I am really excited about it. Btw interesting discovery about Roman shields. I never thought about using them that way
The Romans had leather covers on their shields while not in combat, i.e. almost all the time. Since they took so much care trying not to ruin the paintjob through exposure to the elements, I first thought this use of the shield to be unlikely, but perhaps the cover was something which more easily facilitated multi-purpose.
That, almost looks comfortable to lie under. When I was in the Army, I could sleep just about anywhere, at any time. The shield, perhaps propped with one's gladius (in scabbard), would also provide a nice sun-shade while stopped for a marching break. Perhaps paired with some buddies - a nice wind break. Troops do all kinds of improvised stuff in the field - and really, documenting such mundane things, really isn't much of a thing - so, there probably wouldn't be much record of it either. The psychology and human behavior doesn't really change, troops are troops. They undoubtedly played pranks on each other, bitched at their superiors about having to march, and having shitty equipment - bitched at each other *about* their superiors, had ailments, and sore feet. And just as today, where we have had "Private Snuffy" and "Killroy" and now "Carl - aka STFU, Carl" - the Romans probably had their slang for a soldier who was so worthless, they were more work than they were worth. Roman encampments often included families or the supply chain in tow - and they were massive camps! These campaigns took years and years, and created settlements along the way. The movies have kind of perverted us into thinking that there were just these massive single marches, and a battle, heroes, romance, betrayal and somebody kills themself for failure on the battlefield or some such - and History Book... That's not how any of this stuff, on a day to day basis, happened at all. They were people, just like us.
Swiss military has the same shoddy equipment for tents... Interesting possible use for the shields (shelter, tray, fortification...), never really thought about it...
Not so different from Japanese Ashugaru using their helmets to cook rice. Soldiers spend much more time sleeping and eating than they do fighting, so it makes sense for their gear to be as practical as possible.
So this is why you always see Roman soldiers with two Pilum. I bet you could use a pair of crossed Pilum to hold up one end of your scutum to make a a kind of lean too tent. Should be enough room for a solider to sit or squat, mostly under cover.
Not that the legionary would need it, since they would build a castrum. Still in case of emergencies I could see the standard unit of eight men (don't recall the name on top of my head) build a shelter with their scutums, supported by a rudimentary wooden structure
Don’t forget, the movie Dragon Blade (w/Jackie Chan & John Cusack) had stylized usage of the scutum too. I was sold when they safely used them as sleds for the masonry. 😂
I would think that it would serve a better purpose to keep you off the cold wet ground ! And use something else to cover you with ! But if put up a bunch of branches to get you off the ground it would be good over ! It could be a good reflector behind you with a fire in front to ! Place to sit ! Stercher for the wounded ! And a few orther uses !
The more a weapon is with you, the more you find utilitarian uses for it. I use my machete to hook around things to climb trees and mountains, even stabbing into the earth or chopping into trees to create hand + footholds. I love how Samurai Jack find similar uses for his katana, saya, gi, geta, and amigasa (handmade like mom taught him) - the only 4 things he ever really owns.
Plutarch mentioned about the Spartans with their Aspis, "with the shield or on the shield". The Romans with their Scutum could now also "get under the shield" I purposely left out the "come back" with the shield.
I think the had cloaks and other equipment that might combine with the shield to provide even better shelter. Matt, time to take your knowledge of their equipment and figure out hiw they could have used it to the best advantage.
Give thanks for that "British weather". It's what keeps the land green and pleasant. Without the Gulfstream, it would be colder and dryer (your at the same latitude as southern Siberia).
Maybe if it had a spiked monopod hinged onto the inside, the shield could lean back a little using the bottom corners as 2 more points of contact with the ground to freestand as a tripod. Archers can use this as mobile cover. Asymmetric composite shortbows for army & crossbows for navy. Each century can be half archers & half with 8ft spears. It can defend against horse archers at distance & lancers at contact while allowing everyone a large shield. This would also negate the purpose of skirmishing light infantry on both sides. Against heavy infantry, the archers of one century would set up shields & loose at range while another century would maneuver closer. Centuries would then alternate this until contact to prevent any century from expending all their arrows & to help create opportunities for flanking maneuvers. On contact, spearman would be the front rank & then each archer with gladius ready in the second rank would advance between spearman to do the real killing.
The spearman could also carry extra arrows for the archers in a light backpack. Nothing ruck size, but if everyone had one, everyone can have rudimentary medical supplies which would make everyone combat medics also. The freestanding shield would be very useful for providing cover during immediate treatment.
I was thinking for a second that he might be joking but the more I think about it the more I believe this might be quite a common thing. I could imagine a section of Roman soldiers out on patrol. 8 guys could probably make a decent shelter with a cloak and a shield each.
maybe they could've been used mostly as windbreakers, that and some sticks and tarps would make a good and easy shelter if necessary. do we have any records of how romans set up their tents? it would make sense for them to use scuta if they had to carry them around anyway P.S.: I've never gone camping, and there's surely more nuance
![Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 | เพื่อจักรพรรดิ ! [ตอนเดียวจบ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4M0ckYMA4-U/mqdefault.jpg)
If you lay several of them end-to-end on a hillside, they can also make a serviceable water slide on a rainy day.
The boss handles wouldn't be that nice on the colei.
Fat Tiger Yeah, but try sliding down them boss-side-up instead!
Get in one and slide down using it as a tobogan
@@ChrisMisMYhandle that's what I was thinking.
Then again, it would also make a servicable aqueduct.
You can just admit it, Matt, the wife threw you out again.
I am just surprised his jumper is still super dry in that English weather......
It's funny, but you're also right. The Roman army was nothing if not resourceful.
So this is how the Romans managed to conquer the logistical nightmare that is England! Briliant!
@widhbnw efDwdwDW Britannia then. Well, only the southern bit.
@@fattiger6957 and the welsh
Technically the 'Welsh' are the British. Welsh just meaning 'foreigner' in Anglo-Saxon English ;-)
@@scholagladiatoria only linguistically genetically we are all british
Good call!
Mat Easton: HEMA, helmet bashing and laying under sheids
Just got 69 likes.
NICE
Don't forget CONTEXT!
@@timothyissler3815 it may be a mistake to take those out of context
The shields were also kept dry and clean by a leather case when marching, so the shelter would also be waterproof.
Nice
That sounds very plausible.
Roman Soldiers marched with wagons and non combatants like cooks and artisans if I've understood the Metatron and Lindybeige correctly.
So it would be interesting to see if that made a difference
@@QlueDuPlessis They surely were accompanied by non-fighting staff, but the legionaries themselves would often have some expertise as artisans in various fields. Those who had these skills were regarded as 'immunes', with higher wages and the exemption from patrols, ditch digging and so on.
They also carried their own personal equipment during march (pots, digging tools, axes), and they mounted their own tents every evening, so that if shields were ever used as shelters, it would have been a very serious emergency situation.
@@tl8211 That might well be, but we need to keep in mind that these tasks were typically carried out by cavalry and auxiliaries (flat shields, as far as we know :) ).
@@pierdurin Not necessarily an emergency, it could just be that you are resting for a few minutes and a couple of guys can get together with their shields over their heads to get out of the rain.
It might be raining a lot, but at least your sweater will always stay super dry
that's "jumper" to you, yank!
@@Sharklops Its a sweatshirt, "jumper" normally refers to a knitted wool one.
Meevious a very British reply indeed
@@Meevious If we're going to be pedantic, it helps not to be wrong ;) "woollen" is also a noun, specifically wool that has not been combed. Combed wool is "worsted", carded wool is "woollen". So a modern suit made from wool is not woollen, it is worsted.
It's also irrelevant because you're responding to someone who didn't use the word let alone misuse it ;)
@@Meevious you're trying way too hard...
Matt Leaning against shield: It's a great shelter
Me: Wtf it's not even like blocking the rain going towards most of his body
Matt lying on the wet ground with the shield on top: I'm gonna go to sleep
Me: Oh shit genius
If I'd have been a roman, I'd have had a shield twice as big, with a little chimney cut into it, a metal stove attached to the back and a shelf for my tablet (the wax sort! ). Maybe some wheels fitted to make carrying easier. I like the little comforts. I'm sure my centurion would have thought it a brilliant idea and implemented it throughout the Legion! 👍
Yeah, and I'd have attached a 30 ton steam engine to my shield and went choo-choo on those barbarian asses.
@@raics101 all the Romans did, it's almost unbelievable that they didn't come up with these smart ideas!
The closing image provides a radically different meaning to the _testudo_ formation (in Latin, _testudo_ means tortoise)
That's like the signature Roman army move, "The sleepy testudo"
Anyone who has made natural shelters knows that this would be a huge timesaver. Good observation
Apparently the UK cadets do not know how to make natural shelters. They just snuggle under rain ponchos lol.
@@MrBottlecapBill thats the usage of the ponchos, i can get a poncho lean too up in 2 or 3 minuets, a debris lean too will take atleast an hour, more if i dont have ready cordage.
@@mrspeigle1 - I've found that using local vegetation to make a lean-to inevitably strips the local biosphere down to the bone, especially if you've got a number of (in my case) Boy Scouts doing it in the same general area. Can it be done? Sure. It is a good idea? Not if you've got a poncho.
@@kevinschultz6091 it's not quite that bad for a solo but you are absolutely correct when you're talking about a group. Though in my humble opinion if you have room for a poncho you also have room for a tube tent. Fits right in my cargo pockets, weighs nothing and the only way I'm losing it is if I lose my pants. Plus it'll give you better protection then a poncho lean-to. Still gear is no substitute for knowledge and shelter building is core knowledge
The secret: Become turtle.
"The Romans had curved shields? Curved shields!?" Nord mind blown!
Me looking at the thumbnail: “what is this clickbait bullshit Matt?”
Me watching video: “ you bloody handsome genius!”
Yeah, I read the title and thought "hello click bait." Then I saw it was Matt Easton and got currious what odd thing he was up to.
I know this was designed to be a bit tongue in cheek, but the shape is almost identical to clay roof tiles. If you stacked them overlapping, one column up, one column down, you've just created a completely waterproof roof. As you said, the Romans rarely went anywhere in small numbers, so 50-100 shields with some light framing could make a very nice roof for the soldiers underneath.
Anyone who has been in the military will tell you that when it gets cold, you'll huddle together with your buddies closer than you'd want to admit back home, so the roof wouldn't need to be very large to cover a lot of men.
And the Greek aspis also doubled as a frisbee. Just the thing to fight boredom on long campaigns.
Yeah... Imagine getting hit on the temple with one of those. The laughs.
Which came first, the aspis or discus throwing?
Spartan mothers actually would tell their sons going off to war, "come back with your shield, or on it... or if it rains, then under it so you don't catch cold"
@@Sharklops Coming home without your shield was considered more honorable than coming back without a sword
@@sundhaug92 It's largely believe that the meaning behind the saying about with the shield or on it is that the first thing that you'd like ditch if you ran away from battle would be your shield since it's a large and fairly heavy item. On it means that you fought and were either killed or severely wounded and the shield was used as a makeshift litter to carry you/your body back home on.
The 1 dislike must have been an angry dacian soldier
No, they were so excited they clicked the wrong button.
Is this allowed for him?
The Dacians were superior to Romans as fighters
Draugre found the Dacian
@@wendigo1619 And this is why Dacia conquered Rome in 117.
..no, wait...
Just as the gladius was also used as an engineering tool, so thus did the scutum have multiple uses. Perhaps we need to get out of our modern way of thinking about everything being a specialized tool when we are looking at ancient history. Even look at modern backpackers doing the Appalachian Trail, one packs things that have multiple uses and not specialized tools.
Great Video.
Well, you can use entrenching tools for a lot of shit, depending in model...shovel, pick, saw, etc.
@@drakus40k weapon, frying pan...
You may think this is somewhat silly but nothing that increases the comfort of the common soldier isn't silly. As would Chieftan say, whey they would get new tank first question any tanker asks is not about armor or gun penetration but "is there enough room to sleep on it?"
And is it flat enough?
And does it have a BV.
@@commando552 It's probably only the Brit Tankers, that ask that question....tea, anyone?
@@jcorbett9620 Other countries are finally catching on, I believe the most recent upgrades to US Abrams and Bradleys include one.
Let me guess - the bus-shelter was inspired by the Roman testudo?
Before moving: "I have a short video today." 17:54
After moving: "I have a short video today." 3:11
Congrats on getting the short vid formula right.
He finally got it in context ;)
That little sigh at the end really sold it. :D
It is 32 BC
A battle has just ended
Soldiers look at each other, seeing their missing comrades and the hround littered with dead
The sky goes dark and the gods start to send down their piss from the heavens...
No one:
Legionnaire Easton: hey lets build a fort out of our shields!
We always see shields that look bad ass on the battlefield, but most of the campaign is off battlefields
Humour aside, this really does shine a light to the every day life of a legionaire. Thank you.
In this episode, Mat cosplays as a turtle.
THREE MINUTES?! WHAT IS THIS, A VIDEO FOR ANTS?!
Put it in context, young Padawan! Have patience, give it a couple of decennia and you too will learn the wisdom of three minute video's.
It's a little known fact that the Roman Legion invented the large rectangular curved shield after invading Britain.
semi-cylindrical shields were used way before that and gradually changed their outline from oval to rectangles. we know the latin peoples (includeing the roman people, if not their city) used the semi-cylindrical shields since as early as 3000BC
@@matthiuskoenig3378 I was just being cheeky about England and Britain's rainy weather. It was a joke.
Awesome, having camped in all the varieties of Canadian weather with every conceivable type of shelter had never thought of how the Roman shield could make one! You got my subscribe on this one
Ah yes, the character building camping under a poncho, with your SLR clutched close, I remember it well Matt, quite fondly actually, even the time I went down with exposure lol.
Yeah, I did this in Boy Scouts for the ….outdoor survival merit badge(?), I think. It sucked, long and hard. We also managed to completely strip a hillside of vegiation in our attempt to build shelters, before ALSO throwing our ponchos over them to actually make them moderately waterproof.
The shape is reminiscent of Roman roof tiles.
Roof tiles worked against Pyrrhus
My first thought as well went to ceramic roof tiles .. I wonder which came first?
@@motagrad2836 tiles
@@wierdalien1 .. do you have confirmation on that?
I know rounded ceramic pipes and tiles go back to Minoan times, but shields go back further and given other cultures can we be certain rounded rectangular shields did not predate that shield shape?
@@motagrad2836 i have no doubt that shields as a general concept came first. But that particular shape, i am calling tiles, though I admit its a guess
Indeed it is the shieldmaiden to sleep with when things are wet
And in winter they make an awesome sled to rush down hills.
The secret I want the answer to is how roman soldiers managed to hold two throwing spears (pila?) and a huge shield at the same time, all while standing (and probably walking) close enough together to be able to form a testudo. I'd already hit people accidentally if I only had to hold a single pilum...
the pila were made of such soft iron so they could comfortably be wrapped around the waist and carried that way
@@Sharklops Wait, you mean bending them? Isn't a large part of the pilum made out of wood? Wouldn't you then have to unbend the pilum (quite carefully, because I imagine it won't fly properly if it isn't straight) and attach it to the stick _while in combat_ if you want to throw it, all while still holding a shield?
@@qwertyuiopzxcfgh sorry I guess I should have made it clear I was joking around. In discussions about the pilum people always seem to get worked up over the soft iron shanks and how they were made that way so they bent if they stuck in a shield when thrown - which would encumber whoever was holding that shield and make it harder for the spears to be thrown back at the Romans. My "fashionable belt" theory is another alternative :)
Best way would be something like this www.historic-uk.com/assets/Images/romansoldiersmarching.jpg?1390899979 or similar where the top of the pila is against your shoulder, it'll point pretty much straight up then, and not be in the way.
Good clean character building fun . . . and only a few lads ended up in hospital from hypothermia!
I mean.... the design that makes them such good shelters, makes them good shields. I think its a related coincidence. Their drastic curved nature lets them act as an effective shield wall even on the corner of a formation. Or for a solo soldier it covers three sides. Because they are curved, you can stand with it next to you or above you and the shield doesn't get in other soldiers' way as much. The curved design redirects arrows and spears instead of stopping them. Overall, very useful things that apply to rain and wind too.
Matt is having too much fun with his new shield..... keep it coming
Roman soldiers were regarded as highly trained, prize investments, and it was important to try and keep 'em reasonably 'comfortable' when possible. The army had masseurs that traveled with them, and those expensive baths they built in Great Britain weren't just for the 'higher ups'.
Ahhhhh experimental archeology at its finest... also maybe they could have made it a makeshift litter for the wounded in a pinch or carry apples lots and lots of apples.
Is possible that they were used to carry wounded because it is belived that other soldiers, like vikings, did it too
@@rubenrodriguezgarcia6514 yeah i thinking the same thing also with the whole saying "with your shield or on it"
Fantastic! How can anyone NOT like this video?
Do a test camp out, only using Roman equipment, else I won’t believe it. 😂👌
In case you know German, Marcus Junkelmann did a lot on that topic including a march over the Alps with a company of volunteers with full Roman equipment (late Republican/Augustean era). And full equipment means everything not just arms and armour.
@@Segalmed very cool!
@@Segalmed
I understand that a legion had everything to make a town from scratch on them;
What I meant though was one man with full military equipment as he would have on him on the battlefield - to simulate the freak occurrence of him becoming lost/isolated etc and having to spend a night or two camping alone.
@@Segalmed is there a video of that?
@@arx3516 No public one to my knowledge. Junkelmann himself used to sell DVDs through his website one of which concerns this trip. Don't know whether it's still available.
In his book "Die Legionen des Augustus" (there's a recent updated edition) he includes a detailed description (with photos).
There are quite a number of publicly available videos on his work on gladiatorial combat though.
Not as effective as the samurai of old. One strike from the katana had enough force to blow away all the rain clouds.
Ah, but did the samurai know the ancient incantation for driving away rain clouds?
"Raine raine goe to Spain: faire weather come againe."
Of course, those darn lazy kids of today have simplified it to the much less potent:
"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day."
@@InSanic13 Such powerful incantations were never meant to be tampered with by men.
A true samurai has accepted the fact that it is only natural to become soaked by the rain and it will not test his resolve. He will remain stoic and act as if there was the no rain.
I bet you could overlap the shields like roof tiles and make a simple shelter with the addition of a few poles. Even just standing them up to make a simple windbreak around a campfire would help.
Just one problem: In the morning the shield will be much heavier because it will have soaked up quite a bit of water.
For that reason soldiers had more or less watertight shield covers the shields were stored in when not in immediate danger of attack.
Oh no... I hope that Matt doesn't get mistaken for being a speed hump and gets squashed by a passing vehicle. 😊
Or a chariot, if it was during the Roman Empire period.
Roman history must be reinterpreted!
Wow. I feel like marching and camping isn't discussed enough in military equipment. World War One French equipment seems particularly awful. But as an experienced hiker the Roman Scutum looks like half a shelter. Put a blanket on the ground and a cloak over your feet and that would be dry and warm. Not sure any other shields till the buckler have any camp utility.
Haha, nice! Soldiers are great at finding a myriad of uses for their limited kit in the field to make life just a little easier.
Let us not forget the birrus britannicus, the Legionary poncho. One important point about wool is that, well oiled with lanolin it is largely waterproof, but even if wet it will still keep you warm
Mat Easton and his one man prostrate testudo technique.
sir its raining!
assume tortoise formation!
Well I wasn't expecting that. Being from Oz I started wondering about the hot & dry application for Romans in non British weather, and once again that shield idea could still work.
And you thought the Testudo was for arrows!
As we used to say in my army days, "If it ain’t raining, it ain’t training."
That's a lot of meme potential man
On a snowy hill, you can sit on the inside and grip the shield at the boss between your legs for recreational use.
One can use the boss as a pot to heat water.
It's not a shield, it's a leatherman.
well, it sure makes sense in the CONTEXT of a military campaign
Some people will do nearly anything to play in the backyard.
You should think about painting it red and putting decorations on it. I want to see more videos of you with that shield and sword in hand.
Super Dry? Not anymore....
This might genuinely be a real discovery. Everyone is so obsessed with big battles and fighting they forget what 99.99% of warfare consists of, or the deep subtle importance of it. Dry rested soldiers fighter better than soggy tired ones.
I want a kevlar-lined scutum, a single action Colt, and six hours of sunshine.
Hello, about a year ago you mentioned that you were writing a book about non regulation swords. I am just asking because I am really excited about it. Btw interesting discovery about Roman shields. I never thought about using them that way
The Romans had leather covers on their shields while not in combat, i.e. almost all the time. Since they took so much care trying not to ruin the paintjob through exposure to the elements, I first thought this use of the shield to be unlikely, but perhaps the cover was something which more easily facilitated multi-purpose.
"Raining... really a lot in a British standards." made my day. ;)
That, almost looks comfortable to lie under. When I was in the Army, I could sleep just about anywhere, at any time.
The shield, perhaps propped with one's gladius (in scabbard), would also provide a nice sun-shade while stopped for a marching break. Perhaps paired with some buddies - a nice wind break.
Troops do all kinds of improvised stuff in the field - and really, documenting such mundane things, really isn't much of a thing - so, there probably wouldn't be much record of it either.
The psychology and human behavior doesn't really change, troops are troops. They undoubtedly played pranks on each other, bitched at their superiors about having to march, and having shitty equipment - bitched at each other *about* their superiors, had ailments, and sore feet. And just as today, where we have had "Private Snuffy" and "Killroy" and now "Carl - aka STFU, Carl" - the Romans probably had their slang for a soldier who was so worthless, they were more work than they were worth. Roman encampments often included families or the supply chain in tow - and they were massive camps! These campaigns took years and years, and created settlements along the way.
The movies have kind of perverted us into thinking that there were just these massive single marches, and a battle, heroes, romance, betrayal and somebody kills themself for failure on the battlefield or some such - and History Book...
That's not how any of this stuff, on a day to day basis, happened at all.
They were people, just like us.
You can tell how much matt loves his new toy. 😂
That looks really comfortable for some reason.
A short video by you? I knew it was gonna be a funny one!
*English man murdered by shield in his back yard*
You know, the horizontal grip also lets you to put a stick through the shield. You can insert a pole through some of them and make a bigger roof.
Mmm....imagine the noise of rain on shields. Then, in the morning, it can rain arrows. Yay, the life of a soldier!!! 😀
Greetings from germany. It's raining here, too. :D
Legionnaires were great at earthworks I'd say digging a few trench lines with shields covering em
Swiss military has the same shoddy equipment for tents...
Interesting possible use for the shields (shelter, tray, fortification...), never really thought about it...
Very nice garden, indeed.
Not so different from Japanese Ashugaru using their helmets to cook rice. Soldiers spend much more time sleeping and eating than they do fighting, so it makes sense for their gear to be as practical as possible.
The things this man does for us... Thanks Matt!! - You did forget to say this video was gonna be brief though.
British weather in autumn is wonderful, and i'm not sarcastic, i love rain.
So this is why you always see Roman soldiers with two Pilum. I bet you could use a pair of crossed Pilum to hold up one end of your scutum to make a a kind of lean too tent. Should be enough room for a solider to sit or squat, mostly under cover.
One of your better ones!!
Having just been at a dismal, dreary and soden Battle of Hastings, shields as cover are well used.
Lilly Easton " Mummy, Daddy is being silly again."
Not that the legionary would need it, since they would build a castrum. Still in case of emergencies I could see the standard unit of eight men (don't recall the name on top of my head) build a shelter with their scutums, supported by a rudimentary wooden structure
Look at how happy he is playing in the garden with his gladius and scutum. Not gonna lie: I am jealous.
Don’t forget, the movie Dragon Blade (w/Jackie Chan & John Cusack) had stylized usage of the scutum too. I was sold when they safely used them as sleds for the masonry. 😂
I would think that it would serve a better purpose to keep you off the cold wet ground ! And use something else to cover you with ! But if put up a bunch of branches to get you off the ground it would be good over ! It could be a good reflector behind you with a fire in front to ! Place to sit ! Stercher for the wounded ! And a few orther uses !
The more a weapon is with you, the more you find utilitarian uses for it. I use my machete to hook around things to climb trees and mountains, even stabbing into the earth or chopping into trees to create hand + footholds. I love how Samurai Jack find similar uses for his katana, saya, gi, geta, and amigasa (handmade like mom taught him) - the only 4 things he ever really owns.
And that's how the debate about which shield is best ends.
Plutarch mentioned about the Spartans with their Aspis, "with the shield or on the shield".
The Romans with their Scutum could now also "get under the shield"
I purposely left out the "come back" with the shield.
I can imagine they might use it as a shelter when marching. Tramp along with it held on your back and it would keep the water off your head and body.
This must be Matt's shortest video ever .......... and all in context.
What do you think of medieval strapped shields from Italy with a similar shape?
I think the had cloaks and other equipment that might combine with the shield to provide even better shelter. Matt, time to take your knowledge of their equipment and figure out hiw they could have used it to the best advantage.
Give thanks for that "British weather". It's what keeps the land green and pleasant.
Without the Gulfstream, it would be colder and dryer (your at the same latitude as southern Siberia).
As I always say, the n1 piece of equipment was the scutum! Blocks arrows, phalanx AND rain!
Maybe if it had a spiked monopod hinged onto the inside, the shield could lean back a little using the bottom corners as 2 more points of contact with the ground to freestand as a tripod. Archers can use this as mobile cover. Asymmetric composite shortbows for army & crossbows for navy. Each century can be half archers & half with 8ft spears. It can defend against horse archers at distance & lancers at contact while allowing everyone a large shield. This would also negate the purpose of skirmishing light infantry on both sides. Against heavy infantry, the archers of one century would set up shields & loose at range while another century would maneuver closer. Centuries would then alternate this until contact to prevent any century from expending all their arrows & to help create opportunities for flanking maneuvers. On contact, spearman would be the front rank & then each archer with gladius ready in the second rank would advance between spearman to do the real killing.
The spearman could also carry extra arrows for the archers in a light backpack. Nothing ruck size, but if everyone had one, everyone can have rudimentary medical supplies which would make everyone combat medics also. The freestanding shield would be very useful for providing cover during immediate treatment.
I was thinking for a second that he might be joking but the more I think about it the more I believe this might be quite a common thing. I could imagine a section of Roman soldiers out on patrol. 8 guys could probably make a decent shelter with a cloak and a shield each.
maybe they could've been used mostly as windbreakers, that and some sticks and tarps would make a good and easy shelter if necessary. do we have any records of how romans set up their tents? it would make sense for them to use scuta if they had to carry them around anyway
P.S.: I've never gone camping, and there's surely more nuance