Costumes of the Greeks and Romans by Thomas Hope

Author:Thomas Hope [Thomas Hope]
Language: eng
Format: epub

As a symbol of their peaceful authority, gods, sovereigns, and heralds, carried the sceptre, or hasta, terminated not by the metal point, but by the representation of some animal or flower. As the emblem of their massive and conciliatory capacity, Mercury and all other messengers bore the caduceus, twined round with serpents.

The defensive armour of the Greeks consisted of a helmet, breast-plate, greaves, and shield.

Of the helmet there were two principal sorts; that with an immoveable visor, projecting from it like a species of mask; and that with a moveable visor, sliding over it in the shape of a mere slip of metal. The helmet with the immoveable visor, when thrown back so as to uncover the face, necessarily left a great vacuum between its own crown and the skull of the wearer, and generally had, in order to protect the cheeks, two leather flaps, which, when not used, were tucked up inwards. The helmet with the moveable visor, usually displayed for the same purpose a pair of concave metal plates, which were suspended from hinges, and when not wanted were turned up outwards. Frequently one or more horses manes cut square at the edges, rose from the back of the helmet, and sometimes two horns or two straight feathers issued from the sides. Quadrigae, sphinxes, griffins, sea-horses, and other insignia, richly embossed, often covered the surface of these helmets.

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