Joke answers might be fun, but I also really want to know. Did they serve a practical purpose? Just decoration?
2006-08-17 08:31:25 · 17 answers · asked by LisaT 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
you might want to try
http://www.schoolsliaison.org.uk/roman/helmet.htm
It seems that the crest indicated an officer. It is also likely that it had a significance on a totemic level. In other words, the crest probably was made to make the soldier wearing it ressemble a lion, or maybe a sun halo. The soldier wearing it would then adopt the qualities of a lion in battle or possibly that of the sun god Phaebus.
2006-08-17 08:45:54 · answer #1 · answered by josephlincolnlordstanley 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Roman Soldier Helmet
2016-10-02 00:10:31 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Roman General Helmet
2016-12-31 04:28:36 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Why did Roman soldiers' helmets have brushes on them?
Joke answers might be fun, but I also really want to know. Did they serve a practical purpose? Just decoration?
2015-08-14 01:09:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As someone else has answered, they could be used for recognition, different colours and styles, but also they would make the wearer look more imposing and fearsome, like the busbys of the grenadier guards in the UK today. I'm not sure about the totemic value, various ranks did wear Wolf's heads and Lion's heads, so it's possible. I think originally the 'brushes' would have been horse-hair plumes and would also be worn with feathers. See below:
2006-08-17 09:41:10 · answer #5 · answered by Tanks 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Only the helmets of roman generals, centurions, Praetorian Guard and high ranked officers had what you call a brush. The common legionaire hadn't such a thing on his helmet.
It was of course, along with the red cloak, used a a sign of nobility, prestige or high rank. Julius Caesar wore the red cloak and spread terror among his barbarian enemies, the Gauls (in the final struggle of the siege at Alesia, Caesar charged the ranks of Vercingetorix wearing his red cloak; That raised the morale of his legions and made the Gauls rout in fear).
The combed helmet and the cloak (called the pallium in Latin), were in fact used by the Greeks centuries before the Romans. and in the Greek phalanx all hoplites wore such a helmet, not only the leaders.
2006-08-17 11:40:26 · answer #6 · answered by alex 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't honestly know. But if different ranks or different units had different helmet ornamentation, then someone on horseback or up on a hill might have an easier time figuring out who was who in a chaotic situation.
Joke answer: if they didn't want anyone to know where they were marching to, they turned a couple of legionnaires upside down and swept their tracks away.
2006-08-17 08:40:51 · answer #7 · answered by cgwynross 1 · 4⤊ 2⤋
In addition to the previous answers the crests also did serve a function to protect the person wearing them. They would add protection from blows coming down on the head, plus because they used hair it absobred some of the shock of the blow whereas metal or wood just transferred it.
2006-08-17 10:03:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most of them did not have crests. Those that did were usually ceremonial and for high ranking soldiers.
2006-08-17 08:44:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Horse hair
2016-03-22 15:57:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋