Iron Greek helms

[Matthew Amt]

Wasn't the Corinthian helmet pretty much out of fashion by the Peloponesian War? Styles like the Chalcidean and Thracian/Phrygian had taken over.

And wouldn't the very well-documented pilos helmet be a nice cheap alternative to an expensive custom-fit Corinthian, rather than the completely hypothetical leather Corinthian?

From what I've seen of ancient artwork, I'm beginning to wonder if blue was used as a "code" for bronze. Just a hunch and not a solid one! But a few things have cropped up in the last few months that really ought to have been made of bronze but were colored blue... I really like the scale and checkerboard effects seen on some helmets, but yeah, not quite enough to go painting my own Corinthian!

Are the cheapy steel Corinthians really that much cheaper than the brass versions? I still tend to push quality over quantity.

Khairete,

Matthew

[hoplite14gr]

Mathew as for the leather Corinthian I had the newlly enfranchised masses of various cities during 550 to 490 BC in mind.
Yes the pilos was adopted partly because it was cheaper and easier to make.
As for the "scaled" helmyt, asume that a less ecomicaly developed Locrian or Aianian of 600 B.C had some scales and a small bronze sheet only. Wouldn't he take some steps to protect his head?
Kind regards

[Dan Diffendale]

From what I've seen of ancient artwork, I'm beginning to wonder if blue was used as a "code" for bronze. Just a hunch and not a solid one! But a few things have cropped up in the last few months that really ought to have been made of bronze but were colored blue...

I think the explanation is that the blue was possibly a base coat for something metallic. I really don't know enough about ancient paints to say that they had metallic ones (though today as any modeller knows, you paint a dark color as base for metal). I *do* know that metal elements were used in friezes and other sculpture, for instance for spears and other weapons.

I have some pictures of decorated helmets around here somewhere, gimme a day or two...

If you're doing Peloponnesian War, you really can't go wrong with a Pilos helmet.

[Anonymous]

Paul,

The expense in the crest is not the wood, which shuld be about a 1 inch thick piece of somethng like oak or poplar, about $5... but unless you knowa horse owner, gettng the right amount of horsehair, which will run at least $30-40. BTW, anyone know where Hoplite14gr is? Haven't seen anything from him in days...

Oh, yeah. I thought you meant it was more expensive because you were using an iron helmet. Stefanos is alive and well and hunting wolves across the Internet...

[hoplite14gr]

Blessed is the man who counts his wealth in the number of his friends.
I found my wolf in the forests with the guidance of the wise Thespian hunter!

As for the iron helmets:
In the National Meuseum in Athens there is an iron cheeckpiece that is thought to be 5th century
Kind fregards

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

I found my wolf in the forests with the guidance of the wise Thespian hunter!

So you found one? I will still check on the local source I mentioned in the other thread, which I meant to do last week, but was remiss...

Ralph

[hoplite14gr]

Thanks Lykaon(Ralph)-but I "killed" the wolf today.
As for the iron cheek piece some obsure publication here claimed that it was part of a pilos helmet. There is a pilos in Leibadia meuseum with hinges.
Kind regards

[Matthew]

From what I've seen of ancient artwork, I'm beginning to wonder if blue was used as a "code" for bronze. Just a hunch and not a solid one! But a few things have cropped up in the last few months that really ought to have been made of bronze but were colored blue...

I think the explanation is that the blue was possibly a base coat for something metallic. I really don't know enough about ancient paints to say that they had metallic ones (though today as any modeller knows, you paint a dark color as base for metal). I *do* know that metal elements were used in friezes and other sculpture, for instance for spears and other weapons.

I have some pictures of decorated helmets around here somewhere, gimme a day or two...

If you're doing Peloponnesian War, you really can't go wrong with a Pilos helmet.

I was thinking about this the other day when I noticed that at least one Medieval manuscript illustration (on the front cover of the book linked below) made use of blue to depict steel / iron swords and armour, if it's any help:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0199251 ... eader-link

I think it was a fairly common practice, but noting the yellow helmets and blue mail hauberks, perhaps it's the case that these ancient depicted helmets are supposed to be iron? [i.e. blue being a code for iron, rather than bronze...]

[FAVENTIANVS]

Stefanos the Wolf Killer!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Where did you take that pic from?