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Caption

  • A Corinthian helmet from the front with punched decoration around the rims of its nose protector and eye openings.

Corinthian helmet

650–500 BC

Metal, copper alloy

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Description

The helmet is a Corinthian-style helmet. It would have been worn by hoplites, a type of Greek soldier who fought on foot with a long spear.

The helmet dates from the early part of the 5th century BC. It was found in 1870 on the shore of the Euripus Strait in Greece. The date and location make it possible that this helmet could have come from the Battle of Marathon (490 BC).

Visual description: The helmet is 25 centimetres tall. It is forged from a single sheet of bronze which is now tarnished with age, giving it a green tint. It has a nose protector and eye openings with punched decorations around their rims. The top of the helmet is dented and there are two holes.

RAMM Treasures Trail - Object 2 - Corinthian Helmet

Learn about the second object in RAMM's Treasures of the Museum trail, the Corinthian helmet.

Treasures of the Museum: Corinthian Helmet

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Transcript

Helen Hartstein: My name's Helen Hartstein, and I'm the Audience Development Lead at RAMM.

The object that I love at RAMM is the Corinthian helmet. It's such an iconic object. When you think about Corinthian and Greek warriors, you think about a helmet like this.

The helmet dates back to the early part of the fifth century BCE and was found in 1870 on the shores of the Euripus Strait in Greece, which is not far from where the Battle of Marathon happened. It would've belonged to a hoplite, who was a Greek warrior who fought on foot with a long spear.

The helmet ended up at the museum because it was bequeathed in a collection from a collector called Lieutenant Colonel Montague. And he was one of those late 19th-century, early 20th-century collectors. He had an interest in archaeology and classical civilisations.

It's in the Ancient Worlds gallery at RAMM. It's got beautiful cut-out eyes, nose protector, and it has this punch decoration all the way around. It's quite delicate around the edge of the helmet, so it's a beautiful object.

One of the wonderful things about objects in a museum is that you can think about all the stories around them, and what I love to think about is the person that wore that helmet. That person was a real man with hopes, fears, maybe a family. Was he fighting at the Battle of Marathon? He was clearly a warrior. How did he feel during that battle? Was he terrified?

That kind of personal connection between objects and their history and the people that owned them is what really fascinates me in the museum.

Credits

Watch RAMM staff and volunteers tell us why they love each of the 16 objects, and hear the fascinating stories that make these items so special.

Additional Information

Dimensions
250 x 160 x 250 mm
Accession Number
5/1946/158

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