helmets with face masks

[princeofsparta]

I have seen pictures of hellenistic soldiers and roman cavalrymen wearing helmets with masks/faces. Many of these have beards or intricate designs. Does anyone have any information on these such as how they developed, how popular they were, and what they are called?

[Dithrambus]

Your probably thinking of the Phrygian helm with anamorphic cheek pieces which were quite popular in the fourth century.

Like this?:


[attachment=4733]phrygianthracian.jpg[/attachment]

[Macedon]

He probably means this famous helm with the bearded mask associated with the Seleucid cataphracts.

[princeofsparta]

yes either of those with the stylized beard do you have any idea where/when/why such helmets became popular? Any information on them is great

[Dithrambus]

Did George post an image? If so I am unable to view it..

As for the Phrygian helm, it started as a cloth cap worn in the near east and eventually became a helmet (not the first cap/hat to be transformed into a metallic helmet) and traveled across through Thrace and eventually into Macedonia and further into southern Greece proper, seems to have also been popular in Athens during the fourth century. Thats about as far as I can take this, as for specifics we'll need someone more familiar with the arms and armour of the Hellenistic period.. :-)

[richard robinson]

I think Drew may be referring to the Roman Cavalry face masks and grouping them with Hellenistic helmets?

a quick google should sort you?
regards
Richard

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

BTW Prince, you should add your name into your signature, I think this is still forum policy.

[Agricola]

I've been wondering about creating a topic about whether Roman infantrymen also wore masks on the Battlefield. I got interested in this subject after reading Raffaele D'Amato's book Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier.

I've come to the opinion that this view isn't popular among many experts on the Roman army. Can anyone tell me the arguments for and against the ordinary Roman infantryman (legionary) wearing elaborate/decorative helmets and face masks?

[PhilusEstilius]

Here is the Kalkriese reconstruction that I did some time ago and it has been suggested that this mask may have been used by a standard bearer but then that is a question for debate. Then of course my Avatar is yet another I did that is with the Trimontium Trust but that is a Cavalry type.
[attachment=5480]6Medium.jpg[/attachment]

[PhilusEstilius]

The reason that I gave it a hook at the front is that on the original there is the gap in the middle of the upper edge binding which held the silver sheet that was applied at a later stage in it's use.
[attachment=5481]img015Large.jpg[/attachment]

[PhilusEstilius]

Robinson in his book tends to have most face mask helmets as Cavalry Sports Types, however he dose show one Etruscan on a Negau type helmet of the 4th to 3rd century BC that is in the Vatican Museum. This one has large cheek pieces with beard but forms only a split half type mask.

[Agricola]

I have seen face masks being used by re-enactors portraying standard bearers. I am curious though, a large number of face masks and decorative helmets have been found in military contexts (on forts/battlefields), which makes me think that not all of these face masks were used by those in the Hippika Gymnasia,or even by the cavalry. They could have been used only for parades, but what if they were used by infantrymen on the battlefield?