Marian reforms
Roman versions sometimes contain inscriptions of the name of the soldier who wore the helmet. Earlier helmets in the type are generally more decorated, as the Republican legions were composed of levied men who paid for their own equipment. As the Roman army moved into the huge period of growth during the Marian reforms at the end of the 2nd century BC, cheap, undecorated but effective helmets needed to be mass-produced for the mainly poor legionaries.