Revolution creeps on imperceptibly at first but once it has acquired momentum, rushes headlong to ruin

Revolution creeps on imperceptibly at first but once it has acquired momentum, rushes headlong to ruin. M. Tullius Cicero. de Amictia. Laelius on friendship. Section 41.

Image: The Emesa helmet dated to the early 1st century was found in a tomb near a monument to a former ruler of Emesa and, considering the lavishness of the silver and gold design, likely belonged to a member of the elite. As it is modelled after those helmets used in Roman tournaments, even if unlikely to have ever been worn in one, it may have been given by a Roman official to a Syrian general or, more likely, manufactured in Syria after the Roman style. The acanthus scroll ornamentation seen on the neck guard recalls that used on Syrian temples, suggesting that the helmet may have been made in the luxury workshops of Antioch. Ornately designed yet highly functional, the helmet was probably intended for both parades and battle. Its delicate covering is too fragile to have been put to use during cavalry tournaments, but the thick iron core would have defended against blows and arrows. Narrow slits for the eyes, with three small holes underneath to allow downward sight, sacrificed vision for protection; roughly cut notches below each eye suggest a hastily made modification of necessity. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.