Roman helmets

The montefortino (4th c BC) was an early Republic design influenced by Celtic and Etruscan craftsmanship with a simple conical bowl and small ridge. Brought to Italy by the Senones tribe, it was named after a Celtic burial site in Montefortino, near Ancona, Italy. This distinctive style of ancient military headgear became a standard piece of equipment for the Roman legions from the 4th century BC down to the 1st century. The coolus (3rd–1st c BC) was a more rounded, transitional helm, that bridged bronze types to iron.

Imperial Gallic & Italic (1st c BC – 3rd c AD) helmets of the Roman Empire featured reinforced iron bowls, sloping neck guards to deflect blows.

They represented the peak of Roman legionary head protection. Crests and plumes adorned them. Horsehair or feathers were used by centurions and officers to display rank and signal visibility in combat. Centurions wore distinctive, transverse (sideways) crests running from left to right. Tribunes and legates typically wore front-to-back (vertical) crests to display their high status. Common soldiers did not wear plumes.