08-27-2011, 08:10 PM
Magnus, I see a lot of drill in the Lafe handbook but not a lot on fighting style (which I know is harder to describe in words and pictures, but people have been trying for a few thousand years). Am I missing something?
The defensive order with pila and scuta described by Caesar and others seems to me to be a "two cubits per file" order, but it does seem to me that reenactors often emphasize this order over the "four cubits per file" order described by Polybius.
The 13th-16th century solution to striking long while protecting your sword arm with a shield was extending your shield hand with your sword hand. While Romans clearly extended their shields from the guard position to strike with the boss or shield rim, I'm not sure how well defending your arm that way would work with the odd horizontal grip on a scutum. I need to make a cheap scutum and play with it one of these years!
The defensive order with pila and scuta described by Caesar and others seems to me to be a "two cubits per file" order, but it does seem to me that reenactors often emphasize this order over the "four cubits per file" order described by Polybius.
The 13th-16th century solution to striking long while protecting your sword arm with a shield was extending your shield hand with your sword hand. While Romans clearly extended their shields from the guard position to strike with the boss or shield rim, I'm not sure how well defending your arm that way would work with the odd horizontal grip on a scutum. I need to make a cheap scutum and play with it one of these years!
Nullis in verba
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
