Corinthian Helmet

Description This piece of armor is an element of the hoplite's panoply, which also included a breastplate, greaves, shield, spear, and sword. The nose-guard and cheekpieces of the undecorated, crestless Corinthian helmet left only the eyes and mouth of its wearer exposed. The small holes around the edge of the helmet anchored a leather lining that would have been sewn inside the helmet. This was the most common form of helmet among hoplites. This helmet may have been "killed," or rendered unusable, by bending the cheekpieces outward. This type of distortion is common among helmets dedicated in sanctuaries.

Exhibitions

• Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; San Diego Museum Of Art, San Diego; Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA), New York. 2009-2011.

Provenance Mr. E. Segredakis, New York, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, January 15, 1946, by purchase.

Credit Museum purchase with funds provided by the S. & A.P. Fund, 1946