Our current gallery exhibition PANOPLY focuses on military gear of the ancient Greeks. Armor smiths working in the city-states of ancient Greece were extremely prolific. For hundreds of years they produced a myriad of weapons, helmets and armor designs for a class of citizen soldiers, Hoplites, that were the backbone of Greek society. These militia men, were not full time soldiers. They were farmers, businessmen, politicians, artists, architects, philosophers, and playwrights. But when they were compelled to defend their homes against foreign domination, they donned their panoplies of armor, took shield and spear and joined the phalanx. The ancient Greek armor that has come down to us exemplifies the spirit of the Hoplite. Helmets were not mass produced in a state run factory,they were made individually to the specifications of the soldier. Greek armor smiths made great strides over the centuries strengthening and lightening their wares to provide maximum protection the men who were such vital members of their society.

Our exhibition features over a dozen helmets dating from the Archaic through the Classical and Hellenistic Periods. There are very fine examples of each of the major ancient Greek helmet types – Corinthian, Illyrian, Chalcidian and Attic – are on display. Military gear from the cultures peripheral to ancient Greece are also represented, including Persian, Scythian, Etruscan and Celtic weapons and armor. Earlier material such as Bronze Age European and Near Eastern swords and spears are also represented. Along with Roman weapons, we have a superb Roman Imperial parade helmet, representing the zenith of Classical armor production.