Ancient warfare was psychological as well as physical, and military equipment was meant to impress friends and intimidate enemies. While armor naturally follows the contours of the body parts it protects, Greek metalworkers consciously transcended functional necessity and fashioned armor into realistic representations of powerful bodies. In the Archaic period, representations of anatomy tended to be stiff and stylized into geometric forms. During the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., anatomical armor became increasingly naturalistic and delicately modeled, closely replicating-if sometimes exaggerating-a muscular male physique.

This impressive, nearly complete panoply of Greek armor from southern Italy, consisting of a helmet, a cuirass (protection for the torso), and a greave (shin guard), epitomizes this trend. The helmet is of the Chalcidian type, open-faced (trading some protection against facial injury for easier breathing and vision) and perforated with ear holes; separate cheek pieces have been attached. The cuirass, made in two parts (front and back) and hinged at the side, articulates
the pectoral and abdominal muscles, as well as the muscles of the back. The greave, originally one of a pair (the other is lost), assumes the form of the warrior's knee and brawny shin.

The helmet is the most decorated piece, incorporating a great deal of flair while preserving its fundamental protective function. Pairs of projecting wings and jutting spiral coils, which would have held colorful plumes, enliven the basic form. A sketch of Medusa's snake-haired head appears in a triangular zone on the front of the helmet, above the forehead; her glance, which according to myth turned men to stone, would have provided magical protection for the soldier who wore this armor into battle.

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