Provocator helmet

[Lusitano]

Maybe i'm just too distracted but i've never noticed that this




Removing the crest will be like this



wich is remarkably similar to this



And you got a perfect bell helmet for provocator

Does anyone ever noticed that before, or uses it?

[Martin Kealey]

Son of a B***h! You're right! It would certainly be cheaper modifying one of those instead of spending a gazillion dollars on one of the Celtic inspired provocator helmets.

[Olaf]

Nice find,
though I somehow like the look of the Hawkedon helmet better, there are only a few armorers that offer these, and those are a little to expensive for showfighting in my opinion.
So basicaly you get 2 of these for the price of 1 Hawkedon, which translates into getting a pairing instead of one fighter, as the rest of the provocator equpiment can be scratchbuild.
There are also a few grave steles that depict provocators with these helmets one of them I found online: [url:19pre6p1]http://www.arkadaslar.info/gladiator_ck.jpg[/url]
I would like to find out if the pronounced ridge along the visors side helps breaking the force of a shieldbash.

[Gashford]

Nice find, I must admit to having never considered that before. the later provocator helmets would be an almost, if not entirely, exact fit! Time to go make the purchases I guess, I wonder if depeeka will be wondering at the sudden flood of interest in these helmets!

[M. Demetrius]

Good eye, and a laud for that! And by shedding that crest, you take off about a kilo of steel, and reduce your chances of neck injury significantly. Imagine a hard sideswipe with a sword hitting that crest. WHACK! Your head is popped sideways and you have a spinal injury before you can say TIME OUT.

Yeah, good eye.

[john m roberts]

Just remember to have your provocators cursing at each other in Greek, not Latin. The "bell" helmet is seen only in the Greek-speaking east.

[Aurelianus]

AFAIK there are known some findings from this helmet from latin-Italy and Niederösterreich too :!:

[john m roberts]

Do you have any documentation for such finds? Photos? I've only seen it depicted on reliefs and grave stele with Greek inscriptions.

[Aurelianus]

If I remeber right you can find several photos of such finds of helmets (parts) in Junkelmanns book "Das Spiel mit dem Tod.

[john m roberts]

Now I see what you mean. But those pics are of pieces of "Berlin" style helmets, the late development of the "Pompeii" type, i.e. crested and with a continuous brim, as seen in the first picture on this thread. The true bell helmet apparently never had a crest and usually lackedthe continuous brim, instead featuring a separate peak, or no peak at all, and a separate neckguard.

[M. Demetrius]

Even so, I think without going the price of many hundreds to get cast, embossed bronze, this is a good, functional way to get a provocator "early style" helmet into the arena. If I were still in the Ludus, and wanted to be a provocator (I once thought I would), it would be a good way to start out.

My original idea was to start with a coolus, trim the neckguard down a little, then add brass face plates, much like you'd have if you made "huge cheekpieces that covered the face also". But that was a long way in the future. Things change. Can't do that now.

[michiann]

Good observation by you, clever of you to realize this.

[michiann]

In a way, you are correct about the bell helmet being similar to the helmet without a crest. However, there is an obvious difference of the neck brim being at a 45 degree angle which may have offered a little more protection to the tops of the shoulders. The other helmet's brim is completely horizontal.