Also known as the tortoise formation, it is still the most famous formation known about the Roman army. 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. Facts about Roman Shields 4: the shape of Roman shields. The wedge formation is a very old and very effective formation when employed correctly. It was employed for the hoplite phalanx formation. Along with looking ridiculously cool, the formation was also so strong that it could double as a bridge. Philip Rance, in the article I linked, argues quite strongly, though, that it should be seen as the evolution of the testudo instead. The back rows of the soldiers would hold their shields above their heads. In the Roman history, the soldiers had carried a number of shields. When laying siege to a fort, they used a formation … The Roman shield, or scutum, was a central part of the soldier’s defense. They could be in rectangular, circular or oval. Roman soldier shields were used as part of the Roman army tactics to create an impenetrable barrier which lead to much of their success. They fought with short swords, daggers for stabbing … By locking their shields together like […] Another formation was known as the pig's head. Posed by English guardsmen acting the part of Roman soldiers. This protected the soldiers from overhead projectiles. Clypeus was carried by the Roman soldiers in the early days of ancient Rome. 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. It was typically made from two sheets of wood that were glued together, then covered with canvas and leather. 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. Roman Army Reenactment with photographs of battle formations, weaponry, shields, swords, standards, sandals, helmets, fighting. The Romans also used shield walls, this was in fact their standard fighting formation. Facts about Roman Shields 5: clypeus. This involved the soldiers standing side by side in ranks. And quite unsurprisingly, the Roman military system of this time was inspired by its more-advanced neighbor (and enemy) – the Etruscans. The infantry was placed into a wedge-shaped formation and would push into the enemy with a wall of shields. 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. Historically used with cavalry, the formation involves a mass of troops in a triangular wedge with the tip charging at the enemy. When surrounded, the Romans formed a square formation with interlocking shields. 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