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Fastening Greek helmets
#1
I am interested in other people’s experiences of fastening Greek and Hellenistic helmets.

Some helmets, when worn with suitable hats and well padded out, fit very well and do not need any padding. One of my two Boeotian helmets fits like a glove without padding, as do my Corinthians.

Pilos helmets can be made more secure with the attachment of two simple D rings for a leather thong or strap. Holes near the rim of existing examples show us how the helmet can be secured. Etrusco-Corintian helmets also have such holes.

The Ashmoleam Boeotian has two sets of holes punched in the brim for securing thongs, perhaps one thong around the back of the head and one under the chin, mirroring the petasos arrangement. But I have never being sure those holes are not a relatively recent addition to the helmet.

Helmets with hinged cheek pieces can be fastened by "D" rings attached to the lower edge of the cheek pieces.

But would helmets be also fastened by attachments to the rear of the helmet? I am not aware of any evidence, but I haven’t looked.

My Illyrian helmet certainly needs a way of securing it. Many existing examples seem to have holes punched at the bottom of the cheek plates, which would serve to pull them closer together but is too low to secure the helmet under the chin. The same is true for some Corinthians. It would seem more useful to have a fastening just in front and below the ear cut outs, and a Corinthian from Olympia does show these holes, but also has holes at the bottom of the cheek plates as well.

I have only ever added "D" rings to other peoples Pilos helemts, so my experience is very limited.

Any thoughts or experiences people would be willing to share?
John Conyard

York

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Reconstruction Group

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#2
Hello John
In fact the number of corinthians with holes just under the ear is very big. It is true that soem don't have them and that some have both there and in the tip of th cheek guards,but it is not unfrequent to have holes under the ear. I have made two suh holes in my manning corinthian helmet. They're so small and since there is no evidence for rings ever found in such helmets,i made a loop out of hemp cord and just tied a knot on the outside of the helmet. Trough the loops whatever kind of thin strap would do the job if only tied under the chin.I found that this is a very secure way to tie the helmet,and it doesn't even need to be tied very tightly.
The same happens with many illyrian helmets,since the cheek guards of illyrians and corinthians are very much alike. I know your illyrian,like mine,has ear holes and this is a problem on where to punch holes,but i think it best to make them just in front and under the ear.
Now,there ARE greek helmets with holes next to the rim of the neck guard. There are some early corinthians if i remember correctly,and certainly some chalkideans.
Of course hellenistic helmets had this method of securing the helmet,but it seems it originated much earlier,even if it wasn't the norm,like for the romans.
Khaire
Giannis
Giannis K. Hoplite
a.k.a.:Giannis Kadoglou
a.k.a.:Thorax
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#3
Thanks for the reply.

Why do you think there are so many Illyrians with holes at the bottom of the cheek plates? They don't seem to serve any purpose except to pull the plates together.

I cannot find a really good photo of such holes at the moment, but you can just about see what I mean here.


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John Conyard

York

A member of Comitatus Late Roman
Reconstruction Group

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comitatus.net">http://www.comitatus.net
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.historicalinterpretations.net">http://www.historicalinterpretations.net
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#4
Yes i know what you mean. And i haven't grasped yet what they might have served. It's the same with the corinthians...
On the other hand,i didn't opt to punch holes on my good corinthian just to fins out...
Giannis K. Hoplite
a.k.a.:Giannis Kadoglou
a.k.a.:Thorax
[Image: -side-1.gif]
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#5
I don't have any answers either. Sad

Maybe the holes in the Corinthinas are to pull the cheek plates closed at the bottom. Maybe.

Maybe if you pad the cheek plates on the Illyrian very well, you can pull the two plates together to help hold the helmet on to the face. But it seems a poor way of holding on a helmet.

It seems rather strange that we don't know how such a basic thing was done.
John Conyard

York

A member of Comitatus Late Roman
Reconstruction Group

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#6
Does the Corinthin actually require a way of holding them on? I understood it was the springiness of the bronze that woukd help hold it to the head, much as greave are supposed to?
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#7
I have never read of that theory,but it correspons with the experience of Christian and his new custom made bronze helmet. He says he has to press the sides while wearing it! This might have been true with some helmets, but many,if not most of them have holes for fastening. And given that helmets passed from father to son,this couldn't have been a universal characteristic. My helmets don't fit my father's head! Nor that of two friends of mine! It doesn't have to do with the circumference but by the width of the head.
Khaire
Giannis
Giannis K. Hoplite
a.k.a.:Giannis Kadoglou
a.k.a.:Thorax
[Image: -side-1.gif]
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#8
I don't really have much to add. I have recently re-padded out my helmets and the Corinthian certainly doesn't need any padding. The Illyrian stays on fine as well, but I suppose pullinmg in the cheek pieces would help a bit. But my jury is still out on this one.
John Conyard

York

A member of Comitatus Late Roman
Reconstruction Group

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#9
It comes back to the question of whether a particular item was "custom made" or "mass produced". If it wasn't specifically tailored to it you then the need for additional padding and chin straps is greater.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
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#10
That makes sense.
John Conyard

York

A member of Comitatus Late Roman
Reconstruction Group

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comitatus.net">http://www.comitatus.net
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