What it is: A wooden and leather shield used by a Roman soldier in battle Where it is from: Dura-Europos, Syria When it was made: Second century A.D. Related: Babylonian tablet preserves student's ...

referring to the elite units who served as personal bodyguards to Roman emperors. “Praetorians wore oval shields. And the coins he had on him was coincidentally the same amount of a praetorian ...

What it tells us about the past: This tall, semi-cylindrical shield, which is in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery, is one of the few surviving examples of a Roman "scutum," the ...

A wood and leather shield dating to around A.D. 250 is one of only a few complete Roman scuta ever found. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.