10-19-2007, 10:24 PM
@Laran
Unfortunately not, they should have been simple in design because they were covered by the Iranic headwear/cap. I have not seen any real example all is based on your scans of the Persian sarcophagus found in Turkey, from there it’s certain that such a heavy armoured cavalryman would not wear the traditional felt tiara under his cap. The metal tiara should have also side protection while the rest was protected by the neck protection (fortunately for me the side protections of the helmet are covered by the Persian cap). Its all based on what’s visible in the sarcophagus.
Interestingly all the Persians on the Alexander sarcophagus had empty caps, some even in the "sun protection layout" as I call it. This leads me to the conclusion that something is wrong with it, since this would be the peacetime way to wear it not the one for combat. The Persian sarcophagus provides for the first time an insight in the real combat layout in which the cap was "filled" by a helmet, a metal tiara and tightened by a traditional band around the cap.
As said I was so impressed by this discovery together with the neck protection that I saw the need to display it in an illustration, before this to less was known about the Persian knight.
@Giannis K. Hoplite
The kandys coat was mostly worn on shoulders in the summer but could of course be worn together with the sleeves; it was part of the traditional Persian noble clothing. I recall Xenophons story about a group of Persian noble cavalryman taking off their prestigious kandys coat before jumping into the mud to help a carriage struck in it when they saw Cyrus the younger
, I also recall that he said that they presented themselves only with hands in the sleeves infront the prince. The question is if the knights had an extra second wide kandys coat when fully armoured, from the report of Herodoteus this seems likely, apparently Persians didn't like to be seen armoured, not even in combat.
Quote:Are such helmets mentioned in primary sources or is there any real find
Unfortunately not, they should have been simple in design because they were covered by the Iranic headwear/cap. I have not seen any real example all is based on your scans of the Persian sarcophagus found in Turkey, from there it’s certain that such a heavy armoured cavalryman would not wear the traditional felt tiara under his cap. The metal tiara should have also side protection while the rest was protected by the neck protection (fortunately for me the side protections of the helmet are covered by the Persian cap). Its all based on what’s visible in the sarcophagus.
Interestingly all the Persians on the Alexander sarcophagus had empty caps, some even in the "sun protection layout" as I call it. This leads me to the conclusion that something is wrong with it, since this would be the peacetime way to wear it not the one for combat. The Persian sarcophagus provides for the first time an insight in the real combat layout in which the cap was "filled" by a helmet, a metal tiara and tightened by a traditional band around the cap.
As said I was so impressed by this discovery together with the neck protection that I saw the need to display it in an illustration, before this to less was known about the Persian knight.
@Giannis K. Hoplite
The kandys coat was mostly worn on shoulders in the summer but could of course be worn together with the sleeves; it was part of the traditional Persian noble clothing. I recall Xenophons story about a group of Persian noble cavalryman taking off their prestigious kandys coat before jumping into the mud to help a carriage struck in it when they saw Cyrus the younger
, I also recall that he said that they presented themselves only with hands in the sleeves infront the prince. The question is if the knights had an extra second wide kandys coat when fully armoured, from the report of Herodoteus this seems likely, apparently Persians didn't like to be seen armoured, not even in combat.
Bahram Ardavan-Dorood
