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Bronze Corinthian Helmet

The Corinthian helmet (Ancient Greek κόρυς κορινθίη, Modern κάσκα κορινθιακή) was a type of bronze helmet which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved projection protected the nape of the neck, similar to those seen on later Roman and conquistador helmets and the German Stahlhelm.

Apparently (judging from artistic and archaeological evidence) the most popular helm during the Archaic and early Classical periods, the style gradually gave way to the pylos type, which was less expensive to manufacture and did not obstruct the wearer's critical senses of vision and hearing. Numerous examples of Corinthian helmets have been excavated, and they are frequently depicted on pottery.

The Corinthian helmet was depicted on more sculpture than any other helmet, it seems the Greeks romantically associated it with glory and the past. The Romans also revered it, from copies of Greek originals to sculpture of their own. From the sparse pictorial evidence we have of the republican Roman army it seems that in Italy the Corinthian helmet evolved into a jockey-cap style helmet, with the characteristic nose guard and eye slits becoming mere decorations on its forehead. Given many Roman corruptions of ancient Greek ideas this change was probably also a corruption of the traditional heroic positioning of the Corinthian helmet, tipped upward over the forehead, on Greek art.

Herodotus mentions the Corinthian helmet in his Histories when writing of the Machlyes and Auseans, two tribes living along the River Triton in ancient Libya (the portion of ancient Libya he describes is most likely in modern Tunisia). The tribes chose annually two teams of the fairest maidens who fought each other ceremonially with sticks and stones. They were dressed in the finest Greek panoply topped off with a Corinthian helmet. The ritual fight was part of a festival honoring the virgin goddess Athena. Young women who succumbed to their wounds during the ordeal were thought to have been punished by the goddess for lying about their virginity (Histories, 4.180).

Lendon, J.E., Soldiers and Ghosts, A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity (2005)

• Herodotus's account of the Libyan female warriors in Corinthian helmets - via the Perseus Project
• Corinthian helmets from Italy - from Helmets of Ancient Italy, part of Emporical Images.