Clipeus

The enormous shield known as Clipeus, which was used by both Greeks and Romans, was supposedly invented by Proetus and Acrisius of Argos. As a result, it was given the name Clipeus Argolicus and was related to the sun. Other sources, however, claim that the Greeks got their shield and helmet from the Egyptians.

The shield used before the Scutum was called Clipeus, and it was modeled after the Greek Aspis. It was a large, spherical shield that the Roman troops wore as a form of protection. To defend the army and hurt the adversary during fights, the umbo, an iron bolt with a sharp point, was placed in the middle of the shield. This shield was employed by slinging it over the arm and deflecting opposing strikes. The Roman Empire and the early Republic saw the most widespread use of the shield. It served its purpose well before the Scutum took its place.

The heroes of Homer need to carried this shield because it is big enough to protect the full man. Sometimes it was made of wood or wicker that had been twisted together into osiers; the wood or wicker was then coated in multiple layers of ox hides, and ultimately the edge was bound with metal (Hom. Il. XII.295). A projection in the center of the shield functioned as a type of weapon on its own or caused hostile missiles to deflect from the barrier. The next woodcut depicts it as seen from the Trajan's column.