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Nathan Ross · 12-12-2003, 12:00 AM

This is a continuation of a subject raised on the two posts below, 'Quosque Tandem' and 'Third century helmet question' - as it departs slightly from both I thought I'd start a new one. 
 
The 'Siege of Verona' frieze on the Arch of Constantine depicts Roman soldiers wearing an unusual pattern helmet - both Constantine's troops and those of Maxentius seem to be wearing it, and to my eye it doesn't look like anything I've seen on a 'later Roman' reconstruction. Here is the link to the frieze image (which hopefully should work this time!): 
 
sights.seindal.dk/photo/8172,s299.html 
 
It has been said that the veracity these friezes cannot be trusted, but in this case it seems to me that such a particular and unusual detail must be based on something other than the wild whim of the sculptor. These helmets reminded me of pictures I'd seen of Carolingian soldiers - I did a quick search and found this site: 
 
www.geocities.com/egfroth...khelm.html 
 
I don't know whether 'Frankhelm' is a generic name or just what the author of the page chose to call it! I also think his reconstruction doesn't much resemble the Arch frieze models - but his source illustrations are interesting - particularly the 'Rome as warrior queen' relief. Could this sort of helmet be similar to those on the Arch? 
 
Then I discovered a series of coins issued by Constantine and his Caesars, many of which showed on the reverse two standing soldiers. Virtually all of the soldiers appeared to be wearing these odd helmets! Here's one by Delmatius Caesar: 
 
www.wildwinds.com/coins/r...IC_153.jpg 
 
Lastly, there's the Notitia Dignitatum. I'd always considered the pictures of weapons and armour on some of the pages to be the inventions of the medieval copyists, but now I'm not so sure. Take a look at this one: 
 
www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda...orumW.html 
 
The drawings are crude, but those bell-shaped helmets (with triangular cheekguards?) do resemble the Arch reliefs rather. The page is titled 'Fabricae', and doesn't seem to relate too well to the Magister Officiorum. Could these be the products of an Imperial armour factory then? 
 
I am perfectly willing to concede that I might be trying to construct something out of nothing - or a selection of diverse nothings - but surely there is evidence here? What are these helmets then, and how common were they? Does anybody know?

Crispvs · 12-12-2003, 12:43 AM

In RMC2 Sumner illustrates a fresco from Dura which may show this same sort of helmet (with crests). I had been trying to identify them as stylised versions of Robinson's cavalry 'D' and 'E', but I now suspect that they are just as likely to be 'Frankhelms'. If they originated in the east, like so much other equipment, and entered Roman service there in the mid third century AD, could they not be ridge helmets of a type which ran parallel to, but may not have mixed with, the Intercessa type of ridge helmet and ultimately survived it. I think there is an Intercissa type helmet visible on one of the defenders in the siege of Verona on the arch of Constantine. 
 
Crispvs

12-12-2003, 12:21 PM

What also comes to mind is an ivory panel showing an aristocrat or an official of some sort, escorted by "equites saggittarii" also wearing a helmet similar in shape, with an "inverted V" at the front. 
I also remember a picture posted here of a late roman ridge helmet which seem to have the same "inverted V" shape although it could pretty well be an accidental deformation. 
Well, given the great variety of helmets worn by the roman soldiers, one more type popping out of the woodworks --or out of a museum's reserves maybe?-- woud not surprise me at all. 
It looks like some of these "frankenhelmen" (the early types?) had a rather large bowl. I am thinking of the ND, the coin and the Roma carving.

Nathan Ross · 12-12-2003, 01:44 PM

Something else occurred to me - although this might be a wild surmise: the similarity of the basic shape of these helmets to certain types of gladiatorial equipment! Sounds a bit fishy, but compare and contrast: 
 
www.thecolefamily.com/ita...lide72.htm 
 
and this relief (which must be quite early, if the 'montefortino' style worn by the man on the left is anything to go by): 
 
www.werner-forman-archive...RO1127.htm 
 
Otherwise, I think some sort of ridge helmet sounds likely...

12-12-2003, 04:18 PM

Incidentally, this Seindal site is worth a bookmark. It is slow to load because in there you'll find literally hundreds of huge pictures of roman emperors, a complete and detailed drawing of the Piazza Armerina "great hunt" mosaÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¯c, phoptos of the Forum, of the villa Hadriana and so on. Worth a visit but be careful you'll be there for hours..

12-12-2003, 04:44 PM

Nathan: 
Most scholars interpret the helmets on that relief to be early examples of Imperial Gallic designs. It probably dates from the late Augustan period, when some gladiators still wore military gear. In this case, the very latest helmets.

Nathan Ross · 12-13-2003, 05:27 PM

Could somebody owning a copy of Southern & Dixon's 'Late Roman Army' check a detail for me? (I've sadly lost my copy!) - there is a reproduction in the book of a disc or roundel with a rather 'primitive' picture of legionaries on it - the soldiers are in two facing groups and the title of the legion is written above. I believe the accompanying text dates it to the third century, and IIRC, all the soldiers portrayed are wearing these odd 'salad dish'/'frankhelm' things. What I'd like to know is: 1. what is this illustration? 2. Does it have a confirmed date? and 3. Do the authors make any reference to the unusual equipment of the soldiers? 
 
(I recall that the men are also shown with little tufty beards, if that helps! Sorry I'm so vague, but it's been a while since I saw the picture in question.) 
 
Thanks!

aitor iriarte · 12-13-2003, 05:46 PM

Nathan, 
 
Unfortunately, I don't own a copy of that book, but I know what are you meaning: The Aurelius Cervianus phalera. 
 
The object find circumstances are unclear but it is rather clearly a phalera belonging to one of those broad IIIrd century sword baldrics. 
You can see it (like I did) inside a showcase of the Cabinet des MÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â©dailles, in the National Library, Paris (France, not Texas - I hope you like cinema) 
Two groups of soldiers are depicted and they are identified as belonging to the Leg. XX VV and the Leg II AVG. 
 
A tinyl photo of it on B&C plate 3b. 
 
Aitor

12-13-2003, 06:39 PM

The "inverted V" feature is almost certainly pure artistic convention. It was the custom in Hellenistic art to show the whole face, including a fringe of hair along the brow. Sometimes this was done by abbreviating the helmet to look like little more than a cap, but in full-face low relief it was often accomplished by drawing the front of the helmet upward into a morion shape. You never see it this way in profile.

12-13-2003, 06:46 PM

The illistration is a "bronze roundel, possibly the badge of an officer, believed to be third century in date, depicting soldiers of vexillations of Legio XX Valeria Victrix and Legio II Augusta." (Found in France) 
They all carry oval shields and vexilla. The uniform show pteruges, a line at knee and ankle either indicating breeches or leg coverings- and yes, a dish helmet similar to those above. It is somewhat reminiscient of a British WW1 or Agincourt helmet. I think there is enough evidence that this kind of helmet existed- an archaeological sample just hasn't been found yet! 
 
(Page 125, Dixon & Southern)

Nathan Ross · 12-13-2003, 10:26 PM

The 'false' inverted V turns up on the fresco painting of a soldier from the catacombs in Syracuse - maybe the picture Antonius mentioned, as it's often used as evidence of 'red tunic use'! - but the helmet is clearly a ridge helm with 'eyes' and fin crest (about the best ancient depiction of one I've seen, in fact). There doesn't seem to be a lick of hair showing though - perhaps it's a fault in the painting, or an attempt to show perspective (?!). Anyway, I think this is something different to the apparent 'turned up peak' of these 'dishhelms' - the 'Warrior Queen' relief (linked above) clearly shows a raised pointed brim at the front.

Nathan Ross · 12-14-2003, 01:21 AM

Interesting, perhaps, that both legions on the roundel came from Bitish stations - I'm still tempted by a possible gallic origin for these helmets... However, thinking about Crispus' comment regarding the Dura Europos painting, I thought I'd check back through the third and fourth century coins to try and find the earliest representation of one of them. 
 
The same design as on the Delmatius coin turns up on a great number issued by Constantine and his family - most are labelled 'Gloria Excercitus', and show military standards, so the figures obviously aren't meant to be Gods etc. There's a possible sighting of a 'dish helm' on one of Gallienus' coins, but then I found this, from Gordian III: 
 
www.wildwinds.com/coins/r..._0296b.jpg 
 
Pretty distictive - and a third century proof, I'd say. Anyway, just as I was concocting some grand notion of these being Gallic style helmets introduced in the third century, I found this, from Septimius Severus: 
 
www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear/s1800.html 
 
It's very eroded, but the shape of the horse-holding soldier's headgear is unmistakeable. 
 
Still, it's not all 'dishes' - this one from Delmatius shows what looks bizarrely like a Cromwellian 'lobster pot' on the right (late 'cavalry' ridge helmet?) and what could almost be a Heddernheim on the left. Interesingly, the figure on the right also appears to be holding an optio's staff, which argues for a certain authenticity in detail: 
 
www.wildwinds.com/coins/r...IC_227.jpg

Nathan Ross · 12-14-2003, 02:03 PM

My apologies for a third post in a row here... This helmet question's been bugging me somewhat, and every time I think I might have an idea, I find something to confound it. The Severan coin was bad enough, but here's the famous 'Nile' mosaic from Palaestrina: 
 
www.romanhideout.com/imag...ic_640.jpg 
 
...which if I'm not mistaken shows two or three different versions of exactly this sort of helmet - both the low-crowned 'WW1 British' version from the phalarae and the tall 'gladiator' style from the coin images. But isn't this supposed to be 1st century bc? For that matter - isn't that a segmented helmet on top of that pile of shields? 
 
I suppose, if nothing else, the mosaic might argue for a Macedonian origin for this style. Of course, the problem with this and the coins is the rather stylised costume of the soldiers themselves - but then, up till now I've thought the helmets themselves were 'artistic conventions'...

12-14-2003, 10:21 PM

Re the segmented helmet on the mosaic, it looks very reminiscient of the Sarmation/ Dacian helmets on the base of Trajan's column. I also don't think there should be any suprise at the variety of helmet types- for a comparison members.tripod.com/dacians1/dacians.htm shows some of the Dacian helmets opposing the Romans- including a version of the segmented spangenhelm shown above. 
 
Regards 
 
Paul

Nathan Ross · 12-15-2003, 02:56 PM

I had believed the Palaestrina mosiac to be probably 1st century bc - a Roman copy of an Alexandrian original, showing Ptolemaic troops - not sure whether they would have had 'Dacian' spangenhelms - maybe so. Anyway, in the interests of summing up, here is the evidence so far for the use of these unusual helmets: 
 
1. Palaestrina mosaic (1st bc?) 
 
2. 'Judgement of Solomon' fresco, Pompeii (same?) - at least two of the 'dwarves' are wearing them. 
 
3. 'Ezekiel' fresco - Duras Europos synagogue (reproduced in 'Roman Militay Clothing 2 - very clear helmets, worn with scale cuirasses) (c250AD) 
 
4. Piazza Armerina villa 'Triconchos' (Aula or Triclinium) mosaic (again in RMC2 - two kneeling soldiers, on in scale cuirass, helmets a little uncertain but more similarities than otherwise to the others) (c300AD) 
 
5. Phalera of Aurelius Cervianus - (in 'Late Roman Army') Helmets are shallower and more 'dished', but resemble some of those on the Palaestrina mosaic, and are therefore of similar pattern. (3rd Century AD) 
 
6. Arch of Constantine (c315) 
 
7. Coins of Severus and Gordian III (early-mid 3rd Century AD) 
 
8. Coin series of Constantine and successors (early-mid 4th Century AD) 
 
9. 'Rome as Warrior Queen' relief (4th/5th Century) 
 
10. Illustrated manuscript of Prudentius (Later copy of 4th or 5th Century AD) 
 
I would hazard a guess from this that these helmets were actually quite common, particularly in the third and fourth century - and how many other helmets do we know of from the third in particular? Obviously, without further (especially archeological) evidence it's impossible to draw any conclusions, but it does seem odd that the use of mail coifs, for example, as represented on the Dura paintings, is beginning to be accepted while these helmets (apparently) are not!

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