For decades, archaeologists have wondered whether a suit of Bronze Age armor found in Greece—boar's tusk helmet, bronze plates and all—would really have protected its wearer in combat.

Greek naval infantry conducted combat exercises in armor replicas from 3,500 years ago. This helped resolve a 64-year-old dispute among archaeologists. Scientists now understand the role ancient ...

Hoplite infantrymen were the military ideal of ancient Greece and were recruited from the wealthy middling ranks of society, particularly the farmers. They wore bronze armor breastplates, helmets ...