ITALIAN MERCENARIES ABROAD THE MAMERTINES

The Mamertines, the infamous mercenaries of Campanian origin, are often passed over as a mere footnote in history as the initial cause of the First Punic War. Thus many accounts never consider their dress, armament, or appearance, but evidence gives us a clear picture of how they looked.

Aquila Velite

WEAPONS AND ARMOUR To build a picture of the Mamertines’ arms and armour one must turn to their homeland, the region of Campania, during the fourth century BC. This was a melting pot of Etruscan, Greek, and Samnite cultures. Campanians would often bury their warriors in full panoply, with tombs decorated with frescoes depicting warriors along with painted pottery showing battle scenes, giving us a treasure trove of evidence. Mamertine armour The Mamertines would have mostly worn Samno-Attic helmets with detachable crest and plume holders. The horned helmets mentioned in connection to the Sabellians (south-central Italic peoples) were likely relegated to cavalrymen, as frescoes show them almost exclusively worn by cavalrymen. Montefortino helmets also appear in Sabellian contexts. Hellenisticstyle helmets are rarely depicted in Campanian sources, yet due to the…

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Ancient Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, AW XVII.5

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