This helmet protects the whole of the skull but also the face and neck of the wearer but reduces visibility and breathing capacity. First of all, the most emblematic helmet of the archaic period is obviously the so-called Corinthian model. However, it is possible to identify several main types. There is a wide range of very different “Kranos” that have evolved over time. Moreover, many Greek helmets on display in museums have small holes in their edges, attesting to the presence of these padding sewn to the metal. Few examples have come down to us today, but fortunately one of them can be found in France in the Mougins Museum of Classical Art.

The helmet is always worn over a form of padding consisting of a simple wool or linen cap sometimes covered with leather and usually sewn directly to the helmet. Usually the helmet is 2 mm thick, but sometimes it can reach 3 to 5 mm depending on the helmet area (especially on the face). This protection was necessary to protect the fighter from the opponent’s downward blows. Īs far as defensive equipment is concerned, the hoplite in most cases wears a bronze “Kranos” helmet On Greek helmets, we refer here to the beginning of Michel FEUGERE’s book (1994): Casques antiques: visages de la guerre de Mycènes à l’Antiquité tardive (Ancient helmets: faces of the War from Mycenae to Late Antiquity), Paris, p.7-22. The use of these “swords” in certain confrontations longer than usual is attested by ancient sources and in particular by Herodotus when he wrote about the battle of Thermopylae Herodotus, Histories, Book VII, 224: “Their Spears were soon broken almost all, but with their Swords (in the text, Makhaira, the term for all Greek blades), they continued to massacre the Persians. With only one edge and rather used by horsemen, this weapon is mainly intended for slice attacks. The second type of blade is curved inwards and is called “Kopis”, a Greek word with the same roots as the French verb couper (to cut). A straight double-edged blade with a central rib, it is suitable for cutting or thrusting the opponent. There are two types of blades, the first is the “Xiphos”. Pointe de lance « Dori » reproduite par l’Association SOMATOPHYLAQUESĪlthough the spear is the most important offensive weapon of the hoplite, these warriors may also carry a blade at their side although this is more rarely represented in iconography as well as found in archaeology. Indeed, the latter force oneself to face the opponent head-on and makes it easier for the hoplite to wear the “Aspis Koilé”. This information shows that, for a Greek, this technical feature was of primary importance Herodotus, Histories, Book I / 171: “…the first, they equipped the shields with straps to pass the arm through”. The invention of this system seems so important that Herodotus does not forget to mention its origins.

(“Warfare in ancient Greece”) Fribourg, Office du livre, 1985. According to them it is this specificity which allowed the hoplite to better manoeuvre its shield and to better support its weight On this shield, see Pierre DUCREY, (1985), Guerre et guerriers dans la Grèce antique. This double hook has led to extensive coverage in the works of modern historians. To hold it, the hoplite passes his left forearm in the central hook of the shield, the “Porpax” and will grasp a handle called “Antilabe” located on one of the edges of the bulge. To complete this protection, the bulge of the shield has a rim called the Itys that goes around it. Circular (an average diameter of 90cm but this was probably varying depending on the size of the bearer), the centre was curved toward the exterior, so that the hoplite can place his shoulder inside this space thus formed in order to better support its weight. This shield is made out of wood as it is shown by the few textual mention regarding this subject as well as the scarce archaeological sources that reached us, such as the Vatican shield.

Let’s begin with the most important part of the entire hoplite equipment, the famous round and hollow shield “Aspis koilè” The round shield, called hoplon, is named as such by Thucydides alone.

Hoplite shield refrence