Greek Helmet/ armour database

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

It's possible that Paul is correct,but on the other hand we shouldn't ignore the many depictions of hoplites ready for battle,or actually fighting, holding or wearing a clearly soft pilos. So,we know that hoplites did fight in them,so what evidence do we have that the Spartans in Sphacteria didn't? Nothing but our willingness to imagine bronze clad Spartans,and our "dissapointment" that they had already abandoned the more fearsome closed helmets and perhaps even body armour.
In my imagination, there were both bronze and felt caps among the Spartans and the combined disadvantages of their bronze and felt versions were what made Thucydides point out their ineffectiveness against arrows. Which were more common, we can't know. And certainly not all of them wore the pilos helmet.
Khaire
Giannis