The discovery of the helmet of Miltiades, who fought at the Battle of Marathon is one of the most important finds in world history.
Miltiades, one of the most important figures of ancient Greece, served as a general in the army of the Athenians which defeated the Persians in the famous battle of Marathon.
Visitors to the Archaeological Museum of Olympia stand in awe before the well-preserved artifact discovered in the late nineteenth century.
The magnificent helmet was recovered from the ruins of the temple of Zeus in Olympia. Its dome is missing but the rest of the Corinthian-style helmet is almost intact after 2-500 years. On the side are the words "Miltiades Atheneon to Thii" This means that Miltiades offered his helmet to Zeus.
Historians argue that the helmet was found in the temple for one or two reasons, either the great warrior wanted the support of Zeus for a future battle or the offering was to thank the god for a battle won.
If the latter is true and Miltiades wanted to express his gratitude to Zeus for defeating the Persians in the battle of Marathon then the discovery of the helmet is of even greater significance and the priceless artifact even more inspiring.
Based on the writings of Plutachos and Herodotus, some historians and archaeologists do indeed believe that Miltiades offered his helmet to Zeus for defeating the Persians and returning victorious to Athens.
Of course, this in turn preserves the course of history and western civilization as we know it today.
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