Pages: 179-186

The paper deals with some unusual Roman helmets. Their nonstandard size raises doubts that a warrior could actually wear them. Some of the helmets discussed in this paper were too small, while others too large for normal human head. The author considers this as a major sign of decorative purpose of such helmets. Very heavy specimens (weighing 3—4 kg) can also be considered as decorative helmets. They were not suitable to be worn not only in combat, but even as part of the military parade equipment. So half-meter in height helmet from Lake Nemi was more part of the decorative frieze than parade helmet of emperor’s guardsman. In the group of decorative helmets we can also include small votive helmets found in the temples (helmets from Autun and Ober-Florstadt). Bronze and gilded decorative helmets could be put on statue’s head, as evidenced by discovery of Cobannus’s statue and Autun helmet found in the ruins of the temple next to the fragments of a statue.

Keywords: Roman age, defensive armour, parade armour, decorative helmets, votive offerings

Information about author:

Andrey Negin (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). Candidate of Historical Sciences. N. I. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarina Pr., 23, Nizhny Novgorod, 603022, Russia
E-mail: [email protected]