A Brief History of Greek Helmets

Jesse Obert A Brief History of Greek Helmets Author: Jesse Obert Source: AncientPlanet Online Journal Vol. 2 (2012), 48 – 59 Published by: Ioannis Georgopoulos Available at: http://issuu.com/ancientplanet/docs/ancientplanet_vol.2 1 Jesse Obert A Brief History of Greek Helmets Warfare is a constantly changing aspect of human interaction. In Ancient Greece, an emphasis on camaraderie and communal reliance developed the concept of unit cohesion and specialization. Ultimately, Greece would become the birthplace of Western Military thought. The maturation of this mentality can be traced through the stylistic and technological progression of military helmets. Experimentations with helmet design illuminate the limitations and intricacies of warfare as it was developed in the ancient world. Though the development of any technology is nonlinear, studying the evolution of stylistic designs reveals how the unique style of combat in Greece changed war. The history of the Greek helmet began in the 17th century BCE, when the Mycenaean Empire controlled Greece. At the time, the Boar’s Tusk Helmet was popular throughout the region. This conically shaped helmet consisted of alternating levels of boars’ tusks in a style and design that may have originated in Western Europe (Snodgrass 19). The tusks were sewn into a felt or leather cap which served as the base of the helmet. In all reality, the boar’s tusks would have shattered after a single blow, but were an improvement over leather or even felt (Everson 10-11). Additionally, the laces holding the tusks in place would have been exposed and vulnerable, so leather strands were probably tied between the alternating tusks in order to protect the laces (Everson 7). 2 Jesse Obert A Boar’s Tusk Helmet Boar’s Tusk Helmets did not have a uniform design. Cheek guards were the first and most prominent addition to the helmet. They were formed from a single vertical series of boars’ tusks. Additionally, primitive versions of the iconic horsehair crest may have begun to appear on the boar’s tusk helmets (Everson 9). Another decoration, which only appeared in the Bronze Age, was the addition of bull’s or ram’s horns (Everson 9). The Boar’s Tusk Helmet may have been a prestige item related to hunting prowess (Snodgrass 19). Hunting was a frequent theme in Mycenaean art, and boar was often the target. The Boar’s Tusk Helmet was an effective display of skill as each helmet required somewhere between forty and fifty boars (Everson 10). As bronze forging techniques improved, bronze sheets began to be included in the Boar’s Tusk Helmet. The transition wass by no means a universal one and many Bronze Age helmets restricted bronze to accessories such as cheek guards (Snodgrass 25-26). When bronze was used on the dome of the helmet, it initially took the form of small bronze disks which were sewn or clipped onto the felt or leather cap underneath (Everson 39). Eventually full bronze helmets appeared, but these helmets were extremely thin and had to be attached to a cap (Everson 11). The Warrior Vase, some scholars believe these Late Bronze Age soldiers are wearing leather helmets with bronze studs (Snodgrass 31) http://heritage-key.com/greece/warrior-krater 3 Jesse Obert Near the end of the Bronze Age, neck guards began to appear in their most primitive form. They appear to have been a series of small interwoven bronze scales which draped from the back of the helmet (Everson 13). Additionally, horsehair crests became much more popular. These crests were rather simple and are often compared to the crests of Assyria and other Eastern states (Snodgrass 43). Despite the wide scale collapse of the Bronze Age empires in the 12th century BCE, the Boar’s Tusk Helmet continued to be an item of interest. The basic shape was maintained through the following Dark Age and had a noticeable influence on later Greek helmets (Snodgrass 32). Though no Mycenaean helmets seemed to have physically survived, Homer references and describes one in the 8th century BCE (Homer X.306-310). In the 8th century BCE, two new helmets emerged. They were made entirely of bronze and were products of advanced forging techniques. Their sudden appearance and widespread adoption is often attributed to the dominant form of combat in the 8th century BCE. This dramatic style of violence involved crowds of heavily armored men ramming into each other. At some point both sides would have a massive pushing contest all the while trying to stab the enemy with spear or sword. Though the details of Greek battle are heatedly debated, scholars agree that the Ancient Greek warrior was protected from head to foot except at their face, throat, and lower thigh. The first helmet was named the Illyrian Helmet by later scholars because of its popularity amongst the Macedonians and non-Greek Illyrians. However, the name is misleading as the Illyrian Helmet was originally developed on the Peloponnese and quickly became popular throughout Greece. Similar in shape to earlier Bronze Age helmets, the Illyrian Helmet covered the entire head, cheeks, and even part of the throat. Although, the face was left open and the helmet was forged in two pieces which were soldered together along its peak (Snodgrass 52). 4 Jesse Obert An Illyrian Helmet Because the Illyrian Helmet was forged from two pieces, it was especially weak along the seam. The horsehair crest, which was already a psychological and stylistic asset, attempted to address the issue. When the crest ran from back to front it conveniently concealed and strengthened the crease atop the Illyrian Helmet. This style of crest quickly became a popular necessity, and for several centuries Greek crests almost exclusively ran from front to back (Everson 76). The Illyrian Helmet had many weaknesses. The open face failed to address the dangers of intense close combat. Additionally, the forceful collisions involved in early Greek warfare made the structural weaknesses of the Illyrian Helmet a liability. The helmet was phased out and ultimately disappeared from Greece by the 5th century BCE (Everson 130). Interestingly, the Illyrian Helmet became a favorite of the Macedonians and Illyrians. These northern communities utilized light infantry, loose formations, and cavalry which all required the visibility of an open faced helmet. 5 Jesse Obert A later Illyrian Helmet with hinged cheek guards The Corinthian Helmet, which appeared around the same time as the Illyrian Helmet, was immensely more popular. It was remarkably strong as it was forged out of a single piece of bronze (Snodgrass 51). In addition, the face was entirely covered by a long nose guard and two thick cheek guards which almost met over the mouth. However, the helmet left the neck vulnerable and was notoriously uncomfortable and heavy (Snodgrass 56). There was little to no padding, greatly restricted vision, and no ear holes. The wearer was partially blinded and practically deaf when he wore the helmet. This has led some authors to speculate whether the popularity of the Corinthian Helmet effectively postponed the invention of battlefield tactics as communication on the battlefield was almost certainly impossible (Hanson 71). 6 Jesse Obert A Corinthian Helmet An additional issue with the Corinthian Helmet was the cost. Corinthian Helmets had to be made specifically for each soldier (Snodgrass 59). If the helmet did not fit tightly over the soldier’s head, then a glancing blow could turn the helmet in battle and completely blind the soldier (Hanson 72). This need for an exact fit meant that the helmet could not be passed through families or recovered from battlefields. In Ancient Greece, soldiers had to purchase their own equipment and some men must have chosen the cheaper Illyrian Helmet or maybe even a leather alternative. By the end of the 6th century BCE, the Corinthian Helmet had been adapted to address its defects. The cheek guards and the back of the helmet were extended to rest on the wearer’s shoulders. This addition covered the neck and throat and dissipated the helmet’s weight. A ridge was added above the forehead encircling the peak of the helmet thereby allowing for extra padding and additional protection from glancing blows. Finally, large ear holes were cut into the sides of the helmet to allow for communication on the battlefield (Snodgrass 94). This solidified the helmet’s popularity in Greece, but by the end of the 5th century BCE the introduction of 7 Jesse Obert battlefield tactics and strategy had encouraged the Greek soldier to prefer more open helmets with better visibility. A later Corinthian Helmet with a ridge around the peak of the head, but still missing ear holes At the beginning of the 6th century BCE, the Chalcidian Helmet began to appear. This helmet attempted to address the visibility and comfort issues of the Corinthian Helmet while still providing adequate protection for the face. The Chalcidian Helmet had a rounded nose guard and two large rounded cheek guards. The eyeholes were slightly larger and two slots were left open behind the cheek pieces for the ears. At first glance the helmet looks like a rounded and lighter form of the Corinthian Helmet and may have been invented with that intention (Snodgrass 70). 8 Jesse Obert A Chalcidian Helmet http://www.trocadero.com/stores/aphrodite1/items/1039970/item1039970.html Like the Illyrian Helmet, the Chalcidian Helmet had a misleading name. It was named for its popularity in art from the city of Chalcis. However, the helmet first appears in southern Italy and seems to have been invented by Greek colonists (Snodgrass 70). These settlers needed a strong helmet that would enable them to defeat the light infantry and cavalry of the local Italians.

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