What colour to paint Hastatii shields?

[FierceKitty]

You 'ave studied French in England, no?

[Techno]

Had to google Bezant!

Wasn't he the goalkeeper for Wimbledon in 1988 (?), when they beat Liverpool in the cup final ?

Cheers - Losing it, of Wales.

[d_Guy]

Lyon passant argent in chief on a field argent; in fesse, three bezants argent.

Motto: Je me rends, moi!

Not much on heraldry but isn't this supporting my desire for a silver/black motif?

Hillbilly French: "I myself tear things up"

[FierceKitty]

'ow on earth did zey beat you, mon empereur?

[Genom]

Adding a green purely because that's the base colour I used for my legion.

[Leman]

I'm not sure what the point of this post is. I've seen illustrations of Polybian shields in at least red, blue, green, yellow, and white, both with and without motif. Seems to me you can do pretty much what you like.

[SV52]

Second that, anything and any way you please.

[Ithoriel]

A few random options to get you started:

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

I'm not sure what the point of this post is. I've seen illustrations of Polybian shields in at least red, blue, green, yellow, and white, both with and without motif. Seems to me you can do pretty much what you like.

Yes, but what would you lot all like?

[paulr]

I'm not sure what the point of this post is...

To quote Larry Leadhead

It wouldn't be a hobby if there has to be a reason!

[Zippee]

The Dura Europos shield is the closest we have to a complete real legionary shield. Opinion seems to be that the reconstruction of the damaged original and it's paintwork are as good as we're likely to get for Imperial legions.

Except we're not talking about Imperial shields so this is pretty irrelevant - the only reference I'm aware of is Polybius' comment that a legio covered/hid its shields so as to be not recognised which implies some form of recognisable shield identity.

Ithoriel's images are probably as good as anything, when armour was still personal then individual colours and emblems are likely, once things shifted to state provision then infirmity will appear if only because product is bought in bulk for the same merchants / fabricators.

Persoanlly I wouldn't paint hastate shields a different colour to their principes and hastate - if they were colour coded I think it would be by legio or cohors so all of them would be the same. No evidence at all but hastati in one colour and principes in another is all wrong

if pushed I'd vote white (and did)

[paulr]

One option might be to go with a predominate shield colour for each legion's hastate, principes and triarii.

For example Legion I hastate - yellow, principes - red and triarii - brown, Legion II hastate - white, principes - green and triarii - blue.

Then add some random coloured shields in each unit, as Zippee says "when armour was still personal then individual colours and emblems are likely"

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Three way tie at the moment, last 24 hours; oh hive mind!

[Techno]

Must be a new vote in, since you last posted, Will.

Red's in front by a short head, as they come to the final furlong.

Cheers - Phil

[Matt J]

Red!

Red is the Gods colour, they will favour you!