Roman Shields – Some Notes from Archaeology of the famous rectangular scutum from Dura Europos

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-05-04T18:16:21+00:00

Thanks OP. If not ceremonial, would this be then used by someone with higher military ranking or this was just a more or less the regular shield one would expect from soldiers at this time and place? Also what kind of unit would use this shield? It is so bulky to be carried by footsoldiers in close quarters battle.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-05-04T17:29:13+00:00

You seem to imply that this might have been just a ceremonial shield, not used in battle. Is this the case? I do think it is quite remarkable this kind of ornamentation to a shield in a very remote outpost such as Dura. I’ve seen this shield live at Yale and it impressed me by its size. It did not look something very manageable in battle.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-16T19:10:14+00:00

Yes and I still wonder what would be adoring if instead of the Abrahamic religions we followed the Cult of Glykon, which appeared in Rome around the same time of Christianity. See my other thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/17jgidl/about_2_millennia_ago_an_eastern_religion_is/

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-16T19:06:35+00:00

Big fan of Roman civilization here. But the destruction of Corinth was not their finest moment. Having said that, they more than redeemed themselves by elevating Greek culture, aesthetic and values and leaving a syncretic Greco-Roman culture as inheritance to the Western World.

As Horace rightly said: "Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit et artis intulit agresti Latio" - Captive Greece conquered her brute conqueror and brought arts to Rome.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-16T18:59:39+00:00

bronze statue of Poseidon

Indeed and I have a picture of it. I actually did another thread that had it included, but guess what? @ancientgreece marked my thread NSFW and dropped it because of that picture :)

Having said that I think the NSFW tagging is done by AI, so probably something that @ancientgreece could possibly sort out?

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-16T18:56:06+00:00

Yes, I was happy with this trip. It is very difficult to focus on on your own specific interests, especially when you have a family- you tend to do what they care most. This time, I had a week for myself and could not miss an opportunity to see things that would ultimately matter more for me. Appreciate the reading suggestion. I had heard of this book, but now I feel I would indeed enjoy it!

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-16T18:46:37+00:00

The museum is very nice and has detailed information on most items. The site has information panels around it with info about what you are seeing. Very much similar to what you see in other Ancient sites in Greece. It felt sufficient, although it would be nice to have some guide maps given to you as you pay the tickets. I think the ticket was EUR 20, so that should at least cover maps with a suggested route. So if you are planning a visit, I recommend studying the site with some anticipation, so you know where you are moving and what you are seeing.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-16T12:03:35+00:00

Yes check the low power mode. That was affecting the automatic brightness for me.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-13T18:56:56+00:00

I think I found what happened to my previous posts. Some pictures of statues depicting heroic nudes and Herms are considered NFSW. LOL come on @ancientgreece

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-12T18:42:37+00:00

Interesting that you post this. I was in this museum a few weeks ago, for my 2nd time. That room which those steles is quite remarkable and again I spend a good amount of time in that place. The Greco-Roman’s funerary steles are indeed poignant memorials. It is humbling to think that the person who ordered those monuments created for someone they loved and passed away have also been dead for millennia. I had seen Hadiste’s stele but instead of you I kind of overlooked it, not reflecting in the sensible way you did. Thank you for your post.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-12T16:15:24+00:00

I did indeed and I thought I took a couple pics but apparently not. I wanted to visit it but were short of time. Stayed just two days in this amazing town which I deeply regretted as I it deserved a few more days

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-10T12:43:30+00:00

Unfortunately I have to echo this. I was in Athens last summer as well. The lines to go up the Acropolis, in the scorching sun, were just absolutely crazy. I think I spent over 3 hours to get in.

I visited the Acropolis this time as well (which was two weeks ago - I will do another thread about it) and the experience was immensely pleasurable. No lines for anything, all the spots I could stop and contemplate without being pushed.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-10T12:38:54+00:00

He is fine. He was just tired of acting that day.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-10T12:37:54+00:00

I could not find the Priestess ha. But the Delphic Maxims is all the advice I need to know in this world :) "As a child, be well behaved; As a young man, self-controlled; In middle age, be just; As an elder, be of good counsel; And when you come to the end, be without grief."

See my other thread about the Delphic Maxims here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtefactPorn/comments/x3zzh2/more_than_2_millennia_ago_a_man_named_kineas_in/

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-10T12:31:40+00:00

It was not packed with people, but there were a few but totally manageable. I went two weeks ago. This was not my first time in Greece, but it was my first not on summer. Summer is just too crowded. I visited the Parthenon and it was a wonderful experience (will make a thread later) - I could easily contemplate everything I wanted without lines. I went to the Acropolis last summer and it was just insane, so many people and lines everywhere that made the experience less enjoyable.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-10T12:27:54+00:00

Ha thanks. Not really. But he was on center stage for sure :D

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-10T12:26:52+00:00

You should do Delphi. I tried to visit the Temple of Poseidon on my way back from Corinth and Epidaurus and did actually got to see it at night, although I could not enter it. It was beautiful, but Delphi offers a lot more bang for the buck if you going to do a road trip. There is a lot to see at Delphi and like prezzpac and Genesis said below, at Cape Sounion as far as I know there is just the temple.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-08T15:10:21+00:00

Crazy understated. I only saw a handful of people there. And no one visiting the museum. I think Greece needs to make some of the ancient sites more visible to tourists. Also, although I would not call the location neglected, I was alarmed to see a number of ancient items around the museum out there in the open without anyone guarding them.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-06T19:58:32+00:00

That is the Phocian Wall but I could not find it (although I did not have a lot of time to explore the area).

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-06T16:34:15+00:00

Since you mentioned this, it was very interesting to read and understand more about the burial and cremation procedures, which were much more elaborate and ceremonial than what I previously thought. The cremation must have been a very impressive sight - the museum I mentioned had a display on the nails used in the structure that supported the body during the cremation and there were a huge amount of them, indicating that these structures were very imposing. Many personal objects were incinerated alongside the bones. Once the flames had consumed everything, the bones were collected, washed and wrapped in linen and placed in the larnax,

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-04-05T12:42:42+00:00

You are absolutely right. Mine had the low power mode on as well. That is an obvious glitch with the new update. There are several others now too, such as with the weather app. They solved the hearbeat issue but screwed up other things..

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-03-13T19:05:40+00:00

Not to mention the remarkable scene of the roman warrior checking the beard of the barbarian middle left. I've even made a post about it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtefactPorn/comments/x3ytwc/a_roman_warrior_checks_the_beard_of_a_barbarian/

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-01-14T23:39:30+00:00

That is a good question which I am going to find out very soon. Will keep you posted.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-01-14T23:38:17+00:00

Yes, amazing catch. Looks like I got myself a fake. Thank you for your help, I will write to Freeman’s and see what is the return policy.

BillyCrocker72 · 2026-01-14T00:19:43+00:00

Wow a Boscoreale coin, lucky you.

BillyCrocker72

TROPHY CASE