09-25-2002, 11:47 AM
Avete!<br>
While I gave up thinking of the Romans as "practical" years ago (e.g., hinges on belts?!), I don't think we can read such heavy symbolism into helmet form, either. It really looks like they were shaped that way mostly because that's the way their heads were shaped. True, the Montefortino has a bit of a pointy top, not exactly skull-shaped, but that feature is found in a number of other cultures as well and on Roman helmets it is less pronounced than some.<br>
<br>
The hole in the top is only found on Montefortino types, while other styles of the same date have other types of crest attachements. Roman writers tell us the crest served in part to make the soldiers look taller, so it kinda makes sense that they'd mount it at the top of the helmet, rather than on some other part of the body.<br>
<br>
The hole in the top of the Pantheon could simply be an architectural feature to let in light. If it were such a strong clue to this sort of "gateway to heaven" thinking, one would expect far more Roman temples and other buildings to have domes with holes, but they do not.<br>
<br>
As usual, it is perilous to get into deep theories about WHY the ancients did something unless have they left us their own writings on the subject. It's much simpler, though still plenty complicated enough, to stick with "what", "when", "who", and "where".<br>
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Sorry, Titus, don't want to sound like we're beating on you! But I just don't see the evidence for this one.<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
Matthew/Quintus, Legio XX <p></p><i></i>
While I gave up thinking of the Romans as "practical" years ago (e.g., hinges on belts?!), I don't think we can read such heavy symbolism into helmet form, either. It really looks like they were shaped that way mostly because that's the way their heads were shaped. True, the Montefortino has a bit of a pointy top, not exactly skull-shaped, but that feature is found in a number of other cultures as well and on Roman helmets it is less pronounced than some.<br>
<br>
The hole in the top is only found on Montefortino types, while other styles of the same date have other types of crest attachements. Roman writers tell us the crest served in part to make the soldiers look taller, so it kinda makes sense that they'd mount it at the top of the helmet, rather than on some other part of the body.<br>
<br>
The hole in the top of the Pantheon could simply be an architectural feature to let in light. If it were such a strong clue to this sort of "gateway to heaven" thinking, one would expect far more Roman temples and other buildings to have domes with holes, but they do not.<br>
<br>
As usual, it is perilous to get into deep theories about WHY the ancients did something unless have they left us their own writings on the subject. It's much simpler, though still plenty complicated enough, to stick with "what", "when", "who", and "where".<br>
<br>
Sorry, Titus, don't want to sound like we're beating on you! But I just don't see the evidence for this one.<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
Matthew/Quintus, Legio XX <p></p><i></i>
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
