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Bronze Artifact: Corinthian Helmet (Profile)
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Bronze Artifact: Corinthian Helmet (Profile)

Corinthian Hoplite Helmet (Profile)

Corinthian Hoplite Helmet (Profile)

license: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
source: Wikimedia Commons
author: Walters Art Museum
Description

A photograph displays a profile view of a bronze Corinthian hoplite helmet. Cheekpieces reach down from the side of the helmet to protect the face, as does a nosepiece. The mouth and chin are left exposed with this style.


Date

Artifact: 8th–6th century BC

Photo: 2012


Information

This bronze hoplite helmet bears cheekpieces characteristic of early Corinthian helmets. These cheekpieces appear to have been bent outward, rendering the helmet less effective. This was sometimes done purposefully for ceremonial purposes, such as dedication to sanctuaries.

Hoplite helmets such as this one were one of the pieces of armor worn by athletes competing in the hoplitodromos, an event featured at the Olympic Games and other Panhellenic festivals. In this event, competitors would don a helmet, shield, and (until the 5th century BC) greaves and sprint the distance of the stadium track.

At the time of photograph, this artifact was housed in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.


Other Versions
frontangle

Related Articles

Greek Hoplite Armor | Greek Hoplitodromos | Ancient Olympic Games | Panhellenic Games | Greek Stadium

Bibliography

Sekunda, N. (2002). Marathon, 490 BC: The first Persian invasion of Greece. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.

Gat, A. (2008). War in human civilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sage, M. M. (1996). Warfare in ancient Greece: A sourcebook. London: Routledge.

Scanlon, T. F. (2014). Sport in the Greek and Roman worlds. Vol 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press.