• MataVatnik@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    2 months ago

    and most of them laid down their shields and rested one foot upon them

    Looks like it actually was a lot of them that did it.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      The Romans upon observing this were not alarmed, but formed in a compact body, fa­cing all their foes at once,

      may be suggesting that they formed a square, as Roman legions sometimes did, which would leave a number of troops on the ‘inside’ of the formation without an immediate need for a shield.