A gift from Philip. A fashionable helmet.

[system1988]

A quick not only:

I am sending to you a link of 2 photos which I htink you will find interesting.

http://s1246.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... e.jpg.html

The arrowhead was found in the ruins of the city of Olynthos and bears the inscription of Philip. One could believe that if Philip had the city under siege in 348 he may have had the black humor to give orders to inscribe the arrowheads he sent on the enemy army with his name.

The second photo is a crater from Apoulia and since it is dated back to the end of the 4th BC one can see how much these helemts were in fashion in the whole greek world including Magna Grecia. (the picture on the crater is Achilles slaughtering captured Troans during the funeral fire of Patroclus).

[Xenophon]

Thank you for posting these, excellent subjects as always,

However, I would make a couple of comments. I doubt that the arrowhead was inscribed actually at Olynthus. Lead sling bullets often had black humour inscriptions on them, such as 'Dexas' (Take that) or the name of a commander, because they were often sand cast on the spot. In an emergency the cast shape could be as simple as four fingers thrust into the sand.

Arrowheads are a different matter however,being more complex to cast and sharpen and fix to the shaft and so were not commonly made 'on site' The more likely explanation is that it is a mark of ownership to indicate 'property of Philip', because in Macedon the King issued arms in contrast to the 'poleis, where individual hoplites owned their own arms. Compare the 4th C BC spear-butt ( sauroter) in the Shefton collection in Newcastle in the UK. It is inscribed 'Mak' between two rings, again probably to indicate ownership by the state. It can be seen here:

http://www.bridgemanart.com/asset/47555 ... %22%3A6%7D

As to the helmet on the South Italian krater, it is not a 'Corinthian' type, as one might first suppose. Corinthians were not worn anywhere in the 'oikomene' at this time having long gone out of fashion.The type shown represents a debased-late form of the helmet, peculiar to Italy, which was worn on top of the head, cap-like ( like a pushed up 'Corinthian' had been in the past). These helmets retained the 'mask' of a 'Corinthian' as a decorative feature. The giveaway that this is such a helmet are the eyeholes, set too close together to have been practical in reality....here is a slightly earlier example:

[system1988]

Thank you for your comment. As for the helmet I was thinking about the two plumes!

[Xenophon]

The side feathers ? Again, very common in Italy, but certainly also found, if less commonly, on Greek helmets too......