It was tied to the warrior's body with ropes or leather strips that passed over the shoulder and that gave great mobility to fight both on foot and on horseback.

Warriors that carried this shield were usually light infantry called caetratus (pl.

This 30 to 90 cm (1ft to 3ft) diameter light round shield was constructed from wood sections attached by two metal bars of bronze, copper or iron; it was then covered with leather.

All shields had metal fittings and ornaments on the face with an iron boss in the middle, added to deflect sword blows as well as arrows and spears.

On the move these compact bucklers could be hung on a belt or across the back by a strap, so as not to be burdensome to the soldier on the march or forging for food, but still handy for when the enemy was close.