why did the legion abandon the scutum?

[Hamata]

Salve Plebeians of Europa barbarorum I was wondering why the legion abandoned the rectangular scutum in for a more rounded type shield? I all way's see images of late roman legions using round shields/little armor etc so why the change?

[The Black Douglas]

it's debatable, probably due to a change in enemy weapons/strategy.
there's a bunch of theories, if you google it you'll see them all.

[moonburn]

rounded is more effective against missiles and skirmishers and since the sassanids where the romans greatest opponents i can imagine it as an adaptation

there´s also quite a few crazy theories regarding changes in tactics strategies and so forth

you could also ask why did the roman army abandoned the pillum

[BroskiDerpman]

Round shield is more simpler and cost effective, plus you can form shield wall with spears protruding which isn't possible with a scutum. Their doctrine was becoming more defensive or reactive in nature.

The Romans never really abandoned pila. Though other missile weapons were introduced like war darts, multi purpose spear/javelin combo, smaller javelins, simpler pila, etc.

[kdrakak]

I seem to remember a quote by a roman author noting how their enemies (I think referring to German tribes of his time) used projectiles prior to the attack while the romans did not do that anymore... I also seem to remember the same author noting that the legion did not charge as a standard practice as it did in the republican and early empire years. I'll try to locate it and come back on that. Unless, someone can tell us who it is by memory.

.....(edit) got it. Vegetius on the battle of Pollenta (end edit).

[Fluvius Camillus]

I used this page as my main source of information to finish my high school paper on Roman military history.

http://roman-empire.net/army/army-pictures.html
If you click the pictures you can nicely see the evolution of the Roman military in the first 5 centuries of the first millennium A.D.

~Fluvius