Shields

[silverster]

But wasnt the hastati from the middle to high class citizens? even before the marian reforms?

IRCC these class of citizens has bit of money so that can afford decent armor and become the main lane infantry. Otherwise they would've been drafted to became the Leves and if they are very inexperienced or untrained, they would make up the Rorarii or Accensi.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

The early Scutum isn't as tough as the Aspis, added to which Romans don't overlap their shields. As to the question of training, a militia is a militia and in terms of training the early Roman units are about equivilant to their Greek counterparts, added to which Hastati are young men, with little real experience. The big thing about the Roman army is the system rather than the soldier in the early years.