The city-states of Greece were often either united against a common enemy or at war with each other. By the fifth century BC, a key element in warfare were the groups of hoplites, heavily-armed soldiers, whose name derived from the hoplaor round shield. Each city-state was defended by its own citizens, and the hoplites were usually the richer men, as equipment was expensive.

There are regional variations in the style of hoplite armour: this bronze helmet is of the rather elegant shape that is particularly associated with the city of Corinth. It was probably of the type that the Greeks themselves knew as 'Corinthian' (Herodotus IV, 180). Beaten out entirely from one piece of bronze, it required exceptional skill on the part of the bronzeworker.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.