Greek male hairstyles used in Battle and sports

[Hoplitesmores]

Images and source texts about an importany subject that is sometimes neglected.Long hair may hinder a warrior but cutting them sort isnt always the answer.

[Hoplitesmores]

2 brothers from Argos

[Hoplitesmores]

A back view

[Idomeneas]

i always believed and still do that what we see on these statues is a stylistic impression of long curly hair. Not dreadlocks or anything of the sort. Now about other ways of not giving grasp when you have long hair i dont get the point. I always had long hair. Now they reach my breast but before i go to the army they were down my waist. My permament anxiety in fights was that somebody will grab them and pull some locks out. What would it change if i had dreadlocks?
Instead the real battle hairstyle is the one we see in some ceramics. They had them ponytail and then passed them a second time gathering them to the back of the head, thus creating a little pillow for the helmet. Think the way priests make their hair. Its practical and i know it caus when im home i tie y hair that way so they dont get in the way all the time.

Being soldier and have long hair is very impractical imo although i like them.

[Tarbicus]

Braided hair is apparently an excellent deflector of slashes, and covering the jugular with it seems a little coincidental.

Not saying it is the case, but Napoleonic cavalry braided their hair at the sides.

[Idomeneas]

i really dont think so. And i say it as a man that had long hair most of his life. Apart the stylistic impression they offer nothing in battle. They can grab you and hold you even if you dont hurt, they can get in your eyes the worst moment, in the summer under the sun feels like blanket.

[Tarbicus]

i really dont think so. And i say it as a man that had long hair most of his life. Apart the stylistic impression they offer nothing in battle. They can grab you and hold you even if you dont hurt, they can get in your eyes the worst moment, in the summer under the sun feels like blanket.

How does having long hair in modern civilian life equate to the subject? Has yours always been braided? It's possible to have both braids at the sides and have it tied up at the top as well.

[Lusitano]

Braided hair is apparently an excellent deflector of slashes, and covering the jugular with it seems a little coincidental.

Not saying it is the case, but Napoleonic cavalry braided their hair at the sides.

Carefull, napoleonic cavalry (mostly husars) braided their hair in the beguining, later they did not. Not for any specific reason it just fell out of fashion.

Altough braiding the hair does have large advantages in combat, mainly you dont get your hair in your eyes. Vikings are also known for doing it.

[Tarbicus]

Thanks for pointing that out, but it doesn't exclude a practical defensive use, nor how modern hair fashion can explain ancient warrior practices :wink:

[Lusitano]

I do have long hair and at some times its drag having my hair all over my face when the wind blows, its a big distraction in a fight, so braiding the hair sounds like a smart thing to do.
I dont know if it also served a defensive purpose. Never tried it myself
But didnt they "wash" their hair with oils and stuff, and doesnt that act like a lubricant?

[Idomeneas]

Tarbicus modern or ancient hair are hair. Long hair are not modern or oldfashion. Its a style that exists since man appeared and periodically comes and goes with very few periods that couldnt be met. Braids even if we take your assumtion of defensive use can be cut more easyly than loose hair cause they provide more resistance especially when oiled. I used to oil my hair with my grandpapas olive oil cause as therapy cause it makes them shinny when washed out. They become heavy.

As i said its more likely to be a stylistic interprepetion for long curly hair than braids. Why we dont see that style in pottery but only in archaic statues?

[Tarbicus]

Yannis, I pointed out I wasn't saying it was defensive for sure. However, we do see braids on pottery:

[lupus]

Hi there... is been for a while (long time!)...
Hi YANNIS!!!
Where the heck have you been, my lad? I've been missing you! (I miss our time in the coffee-shop!)

Anyway... I've read in an article of a magazine, from an History professor (Greek one), saying that SPARTANS used that Braided hair, because - of course - there was an ancient Dorian (mostly) style of "Age of Bronze"...
BUT... like the dear "Tarbicus" said, the professor mention that SPARTANS were usualy ROLL/WRAP these long-braided hair AROUND their neck, because the hair was "acting" like a FINE neck protection, from slashing blows...

(I know-read that they did a "bun/binding" of the hair, on top of the hair and "compine" this with the wool "Pylos", they used that "trick" to protecting their head from the metallic helmet's hollows, from the blows...
I don't know if they JUST WRAP the hair around the neck - and after few "dynamic" moves, the hair were free - or they were BINDING them around the neck - somehow...)

That's what professor said... (I didn't... check this by... myself!!! My hair looks like... Legionare PULLO in "Rome" TV serial! Hahaha!... Yannis shound try this! His hair are VERY LONG indeed!)

But, there isn't any pruff of that, in ANY pottery art.
My guess, it's an "artistic" point of view...
YIANNIS' idea (of putting the hair "on-top", like a... Samurai's style), makes more sence...

Cheers.

[Idomeneas]

Yannis, I pointed out I wasn't saying it was defensive for sure. However, we do see braids on pottery:

those are not braids but curly hair. We can even speculate that they are oiled curly hair. They do exactly that effect.

[Tarbicus]

those are not braids but curly hair. We can even speculate that they are oiled curly hair. They do exactly that effect.

It doesn't matter. Lupus' post says a lot more.