Leather helmets?

[Dan Diffendale]

Can anyone shed some light on the apparent occasional distinction in literature between the cassis "(metal) helmet" and galea "(leather) helmet"? It's clear that both terms usually meant just "helmet" without distinction, but not always:

Tacitus, Germania 6, describing the Germans: "A few only have corslets, and just one or two here and there a (metal) or (leather) helmet."
Paucis loricae, vix uni alterive cassis aut galea. He's making some kind of distinction here...

Varro in de Lingua Latina says that galea derives from galerus (another Greek loan-word), which definitely means "a cap or hat made of skin."

Isidore of Seville, admittedly a 7th c. AD source, says, cassis de lamina est, galea de corio - "a cassis is made of metal sheet, a galea of leather."

Latin galea seems to come from the Greek word galea meaning "weasel" or "weasel-skin."

So, besides these literary references, what do we have for leather helmets?

[Antonius Lucretius]

Nothing else that that, I'm afraid. Although leather cheek guards have been found associated with celtic helmets. Maybe galea doesn't really mean "helmet" but leather cap, or something like that...

[FlaviusCrispus]

So, besides these literary references, what do we have for leather helmets?

Actually, there is this from Dio Cassius:

"He (Caracalla) organized a phalanx, composed entirely of Macedonians, sixteen thousand strong, and equipped it with the arms that warriors had used in his day; these consisted of a helmet of raw ox-hide, a three-ply linen breastplate, a bronze shield, long pike, short spear, high boots, and a sword."

If someone can tell me how to post in Greek script, I can try to provide the relevant Greek passage in the original text.

[hoplite14gr]

Nothing else that that, I'm afraid. Although leather cheek guards have been found associated with celtic helmets. Maybe galea doesn't really mean "helmet" but leather cap, or something like that...

Please can you point internet links to this subject?
Thanks kind regards
Stefanos

[hoplite14gr]

So, besides these literary references, what do we have for leather helmets?

Actually, there is this from Dio Cassius:

"He (Caracalla) organized a phalanx, composed entirely of Macedonians, sixteen thousand strong, and equipped it with the arms that warriors had used in his day; these consisted of a helmet of raw ox-hide, a three-ply linen breastplate, a bronze shield, long pike, short spear, high boots, and a sword."

If someone can tell me how to post in Greek script, I can try to provide the relevant Greek passage in the original text.

If the page was encoded in "Greek windows 1253" cut and paste the text and tell the readers what encoding to use on their browser.
Usually for texts this is the method cut paste and advise the encoding.
Some Linux or MAC expert to advise for the non windows users please!!!

[Antonius Lucretius]

I forgot Caracalla's "macedonians"...
And while we're on helmets.. This one is in the British Museum.
Could it be a "customized" piece?
It looks like an early imperial piece customized at a later date and maybe fitted with a nose guard... (it looks like some rivets are left..)
[url:3nz2caby]http://www.sheshen-eceni.com/images/rom%20glad%20helmet%20bm1.jpg[/url]

..And about that leather cheek guard. The only reference I know of I found in Osprey's "Romes enemies, Gallic and British Celts". That cheek guard is also associated with a helmet of unique (so far) type..