Apulo-Corinthian Helmets

     The Corinthian variation that was developed in Italy and designed to be worn as a cap has been described by various modern authors as "Italo-Corinthian," "Apulo-Corinthian," "Etrusco-Corinthian," "Pseudo-Corinthian," "Corinthian parade helmet," "[une] adaptation du casque corinthien," and even a "Corinthian helmet... in a grievously distorted form." As Michael T. Burns notes in "The Homogenisation of Military Equipment Under the Roman Republic," 24 of the 36 helmets of this type with known provenance come from Apulia and it appears to have originated there. I will therefore refer to it as "Apulo-Corinthian." This name has the added advantage that it is not in use to describe other classes of objects such as ceramics, as is the case with the terms "Italo-Corinthian" and "Etrusco-Corinthian."

Helmet with associated greaves,
spears, and spits. late 6th-early 5th c.? Apulia.
Apulo-Corinthian helmet of "Miglionico Basilicata"
type, early 5th C. BC. Ex-Guttman Collection.
Published: H.Born/M.Junkelmann, Romische Kampfund Turnierrustungen,
Alex Guttmann Collection, volume 6, Berlin/Mainz 1997, p.97 ff, fig. 73-76
and p.153 ff, plate XVII-XX and fig.108.
Two helmets in the National
Museum, Copenhagen. Photo
courtesy of Volker Bach.

Apulo-Corinthian helmet from Canosa, 430-400 BC, now in the
Karlsruhe Museum (F 430). With incised bulls on the "cheek-pieces."
Attachments for front-to-back crest and two feather tubes.
Photos from ArtServe.
Apulo-Corinthian helmet in the Getty Museum.
400-375 BC. Incised sphinxes and satyrs.
Photos from ArtServe.
Helmet, 4th C. Magna Graecia.
Broken crest attachments.
Incised boars.


Another helmet in the Karlsruhe museum, again with incised bull.
Helmet, 5th C. BC. Ex-Guttman Collection.
Helmet with incised boars and crest support.
Helmet with incised boars and crest support, 5th-4th C. BC. Ex-Guttman Collection.
Helmet with incised boars and false eye-holes, 5th-4th C. BC. Ex-Guttman Collection.


Helmet with incised boars and crest support, 5th-4th C. BC. Ex-Guttman Collection.
Two helmets on a volute crater by the Darius Painter (340-320 BC), from Canosa. Now in Naples (H 3254).
Helmet on an amphora by the Darius Painter (330-320 BC) from Ruvo, tomb of the Vase of the Amazonomachy. Now in Naples (81951).
Helmet on a volute crater by the Painter of Sakkos Bianco (320-310 BC). Matera.


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