02-25-2011, 10:24 AM
Magnus wrote:
I would agree with Magnus and those who take the view that there is a 'liner', probably a helmet visible in many/most of these pictures, and that it is simply cheekpieces that are missing. What should be borne in mind is that on Trajan's column at least, the sculptors were evidently in something of a hurry, and occasionally made careless mistakes - as Jon Coulston hypothesizes, and others have observed ( e.g. helmet types are portrayed innacurately, belts missing, hems of tunics missing and so on) We cannot be certain that helmets were worn minus cheekpieces ( though there ARE precedents for this practise).
This would be in keeping with the practises of other times - 17C cavalry for example wore "secrets", skull shaped simple domed helmets beneath their hats.
However, this cannot have been a universal practise, as the attached photo, probably from a Trajanic frieze , showing a Praetorian standard bearer with lion skin head dress over an Attic/Praetorian helmet demonstrates and which authenticates the portrayal of the first photo....
Quote:Nathan is right, on most of those reliefs, there is a straight band of something. Could be a helmet.
I would agree with Magnus and those who take the view that there is a 'liner', probably a helmet visible in many/most of these pictures, and that it is simply cheekpieces that are missing. What should be borne in mind is that on Trajan's column at least, the sculptors were evidently in something of a hurry, and occasionally made careless mistakes - as Jon Coulston hypothesizes, and others have observed ( e.g. helmet types are portrayed innacurately, belts missing, hems of tunics missing and so on) We cannot be certain that helmets were worn minus cheekpieces ( though there ARE precedents for this practise).
This would be in keeping with the practises of other times - 17C cavalry for example wore "secrets", skull shaped simple domed helmets beneath their hats.
However, this cannot have been a universal practise, as the attached photo, probably from a Trajanic frieze , showing a Praetorian standard bearer with lion skin head dress over an Attic/Praetorian helmet demonstrates and which authenticates the portrayal of the first photo....
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
