Tag Archives: Ancient Greek

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Ancient Greek Weapons

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Pulling from the same source as my previous posts on Ancient Egyptian weapons and Ancient Greek helmets, I’ve assembled a collage of common weapons used in Ancient Greece.

Ancient Greek weapons

1. Greek sword, bronze, 19.5 inches.

2. Greek sword, bronze, 32 inches.

3. Greek sword, bronze, 25 inches, called Gallo-Greek.

4. Bronze sheath belonging to the previous sword.

5. Bronze lance-head.

6. Hand arbalest, or balista, similar to a crossbow. The drawing is taken from a description in a Byzantine text, but its actual use in Ancient Greece is doubtful.

7. A coat of mail showing how the sword is worn on the right.

8. Antique spur, bronze.

9. Greek spur, bronze.

10. Greek or Etruscan mace-head, covered in points.

11. Antique dagger, bronze, 16.5 inches. Called a “parazonium”, it was common to both Greeks and Romans.

12. Hatchet, bronze.

The illustrations and descriptions have been taken from An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, by Auguste Demmin, and translated by Charles Christopher Black. Published in 1894 by George Bell.

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Ancient Greek Helmets

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A few days ago, I posted some illustrations of Egyptian weapons from an 1894 text on arms and armor. Continuing in that vein, here are some pictures of various Greek and Etruscan helmets.

Greek Helmets

First row, from left to right:

  • Greek casque called a “kataityx”, probably in leather, from the 8th century BC.
  • Etruscan casque in bronze, first period.
  • Etruscan casque in bronze.
  • Bronze casque attributed to the Umbrians (allies of the Etruscans)

Second Row:

  • Etruscan casque in bronze. A similar helmet exists in gold.
  • Etruscan casque in bronze with fixed visor.
  • Greek casques in bronze with inscriptions.
  • Greek casque of the hoplites. Bronze.

Third Row:

  • Greek casque in bronze.
  • Greek casque in bronze with reliefs, antennae and a crest-holder.
  • The perfect Greek classic casque seen in many sculptures (though no actual artifacts have survived).
  • Greek casque ornamented with horsehair.

Fourth Row:

  • Greek casque with horsehair crest and embossed details.
  • Crest of a Greek casque in bronze.
  • Greek casque with neck covering in bronze.
  • Greek casque with chin-strap. Bronze.
  • Greek helmet with neck-covering and plume-holder for a horseman.

The illustrations and descriptions have been taken from An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, by Auguste Demmin, and translated by Charles Christopher Black. Published in 1894 by George Bell.