Spartan battle Helmet

Ancient Spartan battle helmet.

Spartan battle Helmet. The helmet was a protective head covering that was part of the soldiers defense equipment. The helmets were originally made of animal skins, and in the process evolved into bronze and often had a horsetail at the top.

Over the years, the designs changed.The warriors who returned victorious from the battlefields, showed their gratitude to Zeus by offering their weapons (the so-called medals). That is the reason that ,at some particular temples of gods,archaeologists found a lot  of weaponry.

The spartan battle helmet appears for the first time in the 7th century b.c..  IT is known to this day as the pre-eminently ancient greek war helmet.  It was widely spread beyond the geographical borders of ancient Greece. The art of its construction required great skill, as the helmets of kings, generals, were decorated with various representations, and had a rich horse mane.

Clothing, arms, helmet and armor

The Spartans used the same typical hoplite equipment as their other Greek neighbors; The Spartan Helmet,the shield(HPLON).  The only distinctive Spartan features were the crimson tunic (chitōn) and cloak (himation). As well as long hair, which the Spartans retained to a far later date than most Greeks. To the Spartans, long hair kept its older Archaic meaning as the symbol of a free man.  To the other Greeks, by the 5^th century, the hairstyle’s peculiar association with the Spartans had come to signify pro-Spartan sympathies

The letter lambda (Λ), standing for Laconia or Lacedaemon, which was painted on the Spartans’ shields, was first adopted in 420s BC and quickly became a widely known Spartan symbol.  Military families passed on their shields to each generation as family heirlooms. The Spartan shields’ technical evolution and design evolved from bashing and shield wall tactics. They were of such great importance in the Spartan army.  Losing a sword and a spear was an exception but to lose a shield was a sign of disgrace