A century of Roman legionaires in testudo formation In Ancient Roman warfare, the Testudo formation (from the Latin for tortoise) was a formation utilized commonly by the Roman Legions during battles. In the Testudo, the men would close up all gaps between each other, and grab their shields. The first row of men (excluding the men on the flanks) would place their shields in front of them, all the way from the head to toe, so as to cover their front. The men on the sides would place their shields on either their left or their right, to cover the flanks of the legions. Everybody in the middle, except for the front row, would place their shields over their head to protect from above.
When used correctly, the Testudo was a perfect shield from missile troops, and the legions could move without fear of being slaughtered by arrow fire and javelins.
The only flaws to the Testudo were that the legions were vulnerable to being hit by cavalry and there was no protection on their rear.
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