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The Shield The parma carried by the possible beneficiarius on the Cancelleria relief is interesting. Although the design has been reconstructed by our society as a mass of concentric painted leaves, it could alternatively be interpreted as feathers, and could have been executed in metal or leather. Of note is a first century AD military tombstone from Pozzuoli, Italy, on which the deceased is equipped in a similar order, with small round buckler and large spear head. An interesting comment by the Jewish historian Josephus is worthy of mention at this point. Josephus tells us: 'Those foot-men also that are chosen out from the rest to be about the general himself have a lance and a buckler, but the rest of the foot soldiers have a spear and a long buckler...'. Although it remains possible that bodyguards would traditionally have used smaller shields and spears, regardless of their rank and status, in this instance it is tempting to interpret these individuals as beneficiarii, especially given the lances. Two fragments of circular shield covers were found at Castleford in Yorkshire, and have been interpreted by archaeologists as belonging to standard bearers (van Driel Murray, 1989). There seems no apparent reason why these could not actually have belonged to beneficiarii instead.
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A fragment of a circular shield cover from Castleford, Yorkshire. © M C Bishop. |
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A reconstruction by Leg II Avg
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The grave stela from Pozzouli, Italy. Note the small shield and large spearhead.
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A close up of the shield.
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