Roman cavalry masks

Roman cavalry from the late Empire period and legion ensigns (signifers) sometimes wore special metal masks to represent strength and to deter enemies.

These types of masks were worn during military parades or driving drills – called hippika gymnasia. Then the riders had specially decorated helmets with masks, depicting characters from mythology. Hippika gymnasia were aimed both at maintaining combat efficiency, boosting morale and psychologically influencing the conquered regions and their residents. In order to play the scene of the Greek fight against the Amazons, special helmets with masks were put on, which showed male and female faces.