Late Roman Intercisa Cavalry Helmet – Deepeeka

The Late Roman army took a radical departure with its helmets in the late 3rd Century – the Gallic-Italic helmet was abandoned for the Intercisa and Spangenhelm. These helmets were copied by the Romans after conflict with the Sassanid Persians and the Sarmatians. These helmets may have been adopted because they were easier to make – the dome being several riveted pieces as opposed to a single piece of well-formed metal. The late Roman army was a mixed conscript and mercenary force, a highly unpopular departure from the well compensated, often volunteer forces of the Marian Legion. These large numbers of men would need to be equipped en-masse by the increasingly cash-strapped coffers of the later, over-extended Empire.

Regardless of the economics, the intercisa helmets were still good, functional helmets, particularly ones such as this cavalry example which have the nose and brow guard. Hinged plates still provide protection to the face and neck and the helmet as a whole is an easier sum of the parts to construct, as opposed to the more elaborate, final forms of the Gallic-Italic helmet. In this Late-Roman helmet you can see the model for the war helmets that would be used in the migration era after the Western Roman Empire, and you can also see the beginning of the forms of the early medieval helmet.

This Late Roman Cavalry Intercisa helmet is made from thick gauge high carbon steel with brass rivets. The interior is lined with brown leather and has integrated leather suspension.