Many of us are fascinated by how people lived in ancient Greece. We like their myths and legends, heroes and wars in which they participated. We all heard stories about the mighty and invincible Hercules, the long and heroic Trojan War, the brave and intelligent hero Theseus and the legendary 300 Spartans. Such admiration for this culture was largely facilitated by modern cinema, which shoots chic films based on the stories of the Ancient World. Most of us, thanks to such cinematic works, can have a clear idea of exactly what the soldiers of those times looked like. But, unfortunately, not everyone knows why the soldiers of Ancient Greece dressed in this way, for what this or that equipment was intended, why the ancient Greek military hats were called "Spartan helmets." This is exactly what will be discussed in this article.
Ancient sparta
Sparta is a warlike state that existed on the territory of modern Greece between 146 BC. and located in the southern part of this country. The basis of the political system was the principle of absolute equality and unity. The main pillar and economic power of Sparta was its army, which in ancient times was the most combat-ready in the world.
All men were experienced warriors and served from adolescence to old age. The men of Sparta were not involved in the household, as this was considered a black job, which the slaves did in their place. It is worth noting that the latter were particularly ill-treated in this country: they did not have any rights at all. An interesting fact is that the slaves of Sparta were only Greeks from the conquered territories, and each of them belonged to the entire Spartan society.
Spartan warriors
We have all heard the story of Tsar Leonid and his 300 Spartans more than once. Several feature films have even been shot on this subject. I would like to note that this is, indeed, a reliable historical fact. The courage of the warriors of ancient Sparta went down in history and is known to everyone. Any boy born in this country, from a very early age, was subject to strict military education. Such treatment of children further contributed to their physical development, courage and dexterity in battles.
Untrue fact
There is a misconception that the Spartan warriors did not have protective clothing. It spread thanks to the Hollywood movie 300 Spartans. In fact, this is not true: each warrior was very well equipped not only with weapons, but also with fairly impressive protective uniforms.
The basis of the Spartan army was heavily armed infantrymen - hoplites. Their weapons consisted of a spear, a short sword, a round Spartan shield, which is well recognized all over the world thanks to the Latin letter "lambda" on it. In addition, the soldiers put on shells, greaves and characteristic Spartan helmets. The description of this equipment will be interesting for many to learn, and this will be discussed a little later. In addition to the hoplites, the Spartan army also included auxiliary cavalry - the so-called horsemen, who had no practical significance, as well as archers.
Spartan helmets: characteristic differences of different types
The Spartans were among the first in history to create heavy uniforms for their warriors, since the main component of their army - the hoplites - was vital. The second place in importance (after, of course, shields) with confidence took Spartan helmets. The importance of this element of armor for soldiers is hard to overestimate, because it protects such a vulnerable place as the head. It was impossible to make a real Spartan helmet with one's own hands: even at that far time there were special technologies for this.
Corinthian helmet was distributed throughout Greece, including in Sparta.
He coped with his main task perfectly - he protected his head from a spear during horse fights, but at the same time such a Spartan helmet, the photo of which can be seen in the article, had its drawbacks. He partially limited his vision, which narrowed the view of the soldiers and, covering his ears, significantly reduced their hearing. By the end of the VI century BC. e. a Halkidic appearance of helmets appeared, in which there was no scavenger, and in the area of the ears there were special holes. It is worth noting that the strength of this type was inferior to the Corinthian helmets, because due to the fact that they were not solid, the products bent quite easily.
Pylos - Spartan Helmets
However, as battle techniques progressed and developed, the uniforms of warriors naturally changed. When the laconic tactics of warfare began to gain popularity , the soldiers needed to hear the trumpet, the whistle of which marked the beginning of the battle. Sharp eyesight and good hearing were extremely important. That is why helmets have been modified. Corinthian was replaced by a helmet pilos. This prototype was a hat, which was made of felt material and had a conical shape.
Over time, a bronze helmet appeared, which completely repeated the shape of the felt cap, but based on some ancient Greek records, we can conclude that this species did not quite cope with its protective function, since it was not very durable.
The most beautiful helmets of the Spartans
The most spectacular and beautiful Spartan helmets are those that were decorated with feathers or crests of horse or human hair.
The first image of such a Spartan helmet was depicted on ancient Greek vases, which date back to the VI century. BC. These helmets are most often shown in thematic films.