Roman Italic Helmets
Late 1st BC - Early 3rd century AD
The final major group of Roman Helmets, were the Imperial Italic Helmets. Similar in shape to the Imperial Gallic but due to the simplicity of the construction technique and the lack of decorations these Roman Helmets were classified by Russell Robinson as being made by Italian smiths and were probably based on Greco-Etruscan and Italian helmets of the Republican period. Several types of these Roman Italic Helmets used twist on crests that were held in a "T" shaped holder. These types of twist on crests can be seen on our Imperial Italic D Helmets. The earliest known versions of these helmets have been claimed to have been found in Herculanium Italy near Mt. Vesuvius, and as such may have been used by the Urban Cohorts or the Praetorians.