The shield is an active defense weapon because, unlike armor that protects "by dressing the body" (cuirass, helmet, etc.), the shield can be moved by its wielder. By pushing with it, they could force their way through and break the enemy's tight ranks.
The shield was usually not abandoned out of honor, but also because it was not so easy in a moment of danger to run and discard a shield that was being held. The fact of not abandoning one's shield on the battlefield was interpreted as a symbol of the warrior's courage.
The closed formation and being able to protect oneself with a comrade's shield was a guarantee.
"Each soldier tries to cover as much as he can his exposed side with the shield of the man aligned to his right..." (Thucydides)
Medieval Shield, Swiss style with three points on the chief and pointed at the bottom. It is decorated with the Cross of Calatrava, a red Greek cross, with its arms shaped like fleurs-de-lis.
From the Exclusive Collection of Historical Shields by Marto.
Certificate of Origin and Quality. Made in Toledo.