Roman Infantry Tactics in the Mid-Republic: A Reassessment

[Imperial Dave]

I've emailed him for the full article

and got a fairly rapid reply from the author. Not sure if there is any difference in the 2 articles bar tidying up...

[Dangun]

What do you think is going on with the left-most figure on the Mainz Principia Relief?
If that is indeed a shield held at head height, what did he think he was doing? If he was punching with a shield, it does seem risky.

He's the second rank of fulcum, perhaps?

The author picked shield punch. But that is a good thought...
And it led me to... (free online article) The Fulcum... Germanization of Roman Military Tactics
https://grbs.library.duke.edu/article/view/101/101

Much appreciated.

[Erpingham]

The author picked shield punch. But that is a good thought...

Because I had read Rance's paper, which perhaps the author had not

I think a shield punch would be more inline - a straight arm, rather than a hook.  A hollywood waft of the shield might look dramatic but I get the impression the Romans were more into economy in combat (it features in a common topic about barbarians exhausting themselves flailing about IIRC)

[Imperial Dave]

definitely on the straight arm shield punch line of thinking. it allows you to combine with a sword thrust on the 'backswing'