Getty Museum

Group of Armor for Horses: Prometodpidia (2) and Breastplates (2)

Date

about 480 B.C.

Medium

Bronze, amber, ivory

Culture

Greek (South Italian)

Department

Armor

Institution

Getty Museum

Each pair of these two matched sets of bronze horse armor consists of a *prosternidion,* or breastplate, and a *prometopidion,* armor that protected a horse's forehead. Horse armor was widely used in the ancient Mediterranean world. Its use is well documented in the Near East and Cyprus, but less well understood in ancient Greece. The Greek colonies in southern Italy and Sicily produced all the examples of Greek horse armor still known today. Although no horse armor from mainland Greece has survived, writings by the Greek historian Xenophon verify its existence. These two prometopidia are inlaid with ivory and amber. Such elaborate armor would have been created for ceremonial use, rather than for actual battle.

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