Helmets have always been an important part of the military. Even as far back as 8 B.C., people quickly realized helmet could protect the wearer from the disastrous consequences of war. Greek helmets were simple, yet highly functional and were the models for later Roman helmets. When you look at a Greek helmet, you will first notice that it is made entirely of metal and is designed to protect the head, neck and face. The Greek helmets are traditionally open in the front exposing the mouth, eyes and nose. In addition, there were several different styles of ancient Greek helmets. Today, the ancient Greek war helmets remain highly desirable collector's items when they are found in good condition. Here is a quick look at the different type of Greek war helmets.

One Of The Oldest Greek Helmets: The Illyrian

The Illyrian dates all the way back to about the 7th century BC, where warfare was a common part of daily life. This Greek war helmet was made using to metal pieces that were joined together at the top. In order to give the way our and protection, a crest ran from the front to the back, to protect the seams where the two pieces joined together. In addition to metal bridges were made to complement the seam for added protection on the head. This Greek battle helmet was completely open in the front exposing the entire face. Often, this type of Greek helmet was made of hammered bronze and often featured decorative etchings or was engraved. If you collect Greek helmets, you can expect to pay thousands of dollars for a Greek bronze helmet for battle such as this type.

The Most Common Of Greek Helmets: The Corinthian

The shields and helmets of ancient Greek were extremely important for those in the battlefields. The Corinthian Greek helmet was probably the most popular and was made around the 8th century BC. What is interesting about the Corinthian helmet is that it was almost always custom-made for the person that was going to use it. Those who made the Corinthian were very skilled at creating this helmet from a single sheet of bronze metal. These Greek helmets were extremely effective, because they covered the entire head and face. Because it covered the entire face, sometimes, the wearer’s vision would be impaired because of the small eyeholes. These helmets were also very thick and heavy and made it difficult to hear when wearing. Sometimes these helmets were fitted with a decorative plume for the top.

Spartan Helmet: The Pilos:

Another important Greek helmet was the Pilos, which was most commonly used by the Spartans. This Greek helmet was modeled after a civilian hat and was in the shape of a cone. It was open-faced and covered the neck with a slight out turn. Sometimes it was fitted with a pointed apparatus at the top. An authentic Pilos Greek helmet can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $28,000.