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I would love to beleive that the Alexander Sarcophagus of Sidon and much of Alexanders coinage show him with a lion helmet, But I honestly think they clearly show a lions skin and not an actual helmet as a lot of people beleive. As with his successors coins too, such as the coin of Ptolemy Soter with a so-called Elephant head Helmet, I beleive again just shows animal skin worn over their heads. I think Alexanders image in a lion skin is just a way of showing him in a similar manner of heracles and thus more divine or powerful and not an actual metal helmet fashioned in a lions head. What do you guys think?
Dennis Flynn
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Hello,
There is a 4 century BC statue showing Alexander with his lion helmet, it's in modern Turkey, named Alexander Sarcophagus. If accurate… it appears to be an elaborate helmet shaped like a lion’s head, as opposed to being an actual lion’s head or skin.
Quote:The carvings on one long side of the piece depict Alexander fighting the Persians at the Battle of Issus. Alexander is shown mounted, wearing a lionskin on his head, and preparing to throw a spear at the Persian cavalry. Some scholars believe that a second mounted Macedonian figure near the center represents Hephaestion, Alexander's close friend and possible lover. A third mounted Macedonian figure is often identified as Perdiccas. The opposite long side shows Alexander and the Macedonians hunting lions together with Abdalonymus and the Persians. One short end portrays a scene in which Abdalonymus is hunting a panther. The pediment on the lid above shows Abdalonymus in battle. The other short end depicts the Battle of Gazze and the pediment above that end shows the murder of Perdiccas
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Have any armorers made any reproductions?
Michael D. Hafer [aka Mythos Ruler, aka eX | Vesper]
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I was asking if any armorers, well, make any reproductions. lol I didn't know Deepeeka made the one in the movie Alexander. Nice!
Michael D. Hafer [aka Mythos Ruler, aka eX | Vesper]
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The only Greek who wore a lion-skin over his helmet was Milo of Croton if we belive Diodorus. The Paonians probably wore bison skalps with their horns over their helmets.
The Mediteranean smiths had reached a stage where they could create animal shaped helmets at the time of Alexander
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Below is the prototype of Deepeeka's Alexander lion helmet... strange that they didn't seem to copy the statue though?
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They coppied Connolly,but made it all bronze,while he interpreted it as iron with bronze hair.The Sidon sarcophagus,however,was all yellow,implying either bronze or skin color.Personally i believe it is supposed to represent a helmet and not the actual sking.Two main reasons.It has a neck guard separate from the cheek piece and It is too small to be an actual lion skin.Has anybody seen a real lion skin on a man's head?It is huge.Also,the lion skin usually shown on coins on Alex's head also has the rest of the skin on his showlders.The same is with the fresco over Philip's tomb.This is only a head protection.I'm not saying Alexander ever wore such a helmet,but in this sculpture he is supposed to be wearing a metal helmet.
I have a photo of similar iron helmet,but it is medieval.
Khairete
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Has anybody seen the coin of Ptolemy Soter with the Elephant skin/helmet over his head in imitation of Alexander and the nemean lion?
Dennis Flynn
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Thanks Felix,this was the lion helmet I was referring to.So it's renaissance then and not medieval!
Dennis,I've seen the coin.It's ridiculous to think it is supposed to represent a real elephant skin. It has teeth (so it's an adult elephant) and even the African elephant was an animal at least 2,5 m tall! It's head would have been huge. Most probably it doesn't represent anything real,either helmet or skin,and is purely symbolic.Probably the same goes for Alexander,too.
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The coins with the elephant helmest are known to the Seleukidiks and the Greko-Baktrians. N. Segunda believes that the Elphantarches-commander of the elphands unit wore avery extravagnat helmet decorated to simulate an elephant's head.
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