LATE CLASSICAL TO EARLY HELLENISTIC PERIOD, CIRCA 350-250 B.C.

The Chalcidian helmet exemplifies the evolution in design and innovation of Greek helmets throughout the 1st millennium B.C. based on the changing needs of warfare. Beginning in the 6th century B.C., the Chalcidian type was introduced as an alternative to its predecessors - the Corinthian and Illyrian models - due to their inefficiencies. The Chalcidian fixed the great fault of the earlier helmets, whose heavy metal sheet covered the warrior’s ears and prohibited his ability to hear. Evolving stylistically from the Corinthian type, the Chalcidian helmet is fashioned around the ears, leaving them exposed to maximize the soldier’s ability to communicate more freely. The helmet’s lighter design allowed for greater mobility as well.

The present helmet is a beautiful example of the type. It has a rich brown patina, with flecks of gold, green and red inclusions. The dynamic form, with a central ridge running back along the domed crown, forks in a carinated ridge that runs along the sides and terminates above the ear openings. The brow has peaked moldings that merge into a repoussé spiral above each hinged cheek-piece. What makes this example particularly special is the inscription in Greek letters behind the right ear opening. While such inscriptions are often a dedication to a god, a reference to an enemy from which the armor was taken, or naming an individual owner - this one is illegible, which is not uncommon, and may reflect its origin from outside the Greek world. For a similar example but with unadorned cheek-pieces and crown, see pls. 15-16, p. 148 in A. Bottini, et al., Antike Helme.