13 designsLong knitAll-over printOne size
The essentials: 13 designs in the selector on one long soft-knit beanie: Greek helmets in gold, white or red, Molon Labe, Spartan Race, Warrior of Sparta, American flag. Printed over the whole surface, black ground on all thirteen. One size. €29, free delivery.
Molon labe: two words, one answer
Several of the designs carry the Greek inscription ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, sometimes doubled with its English rendering come and take. The phrase means come and take them. It is attributed to the Spartan king Leonidas, answering Xerxes' demand that the Greeks lay down their arms on the eve of the battle of Thermopylae, in 480 BC.
One detail few pages mention: the line is not reported by a witness to the battle. It appears in Plutarch, in his Sayings of the Spartans, written close to five centuries later, and the exchange there takes place in writing rather than on the field. Historians debate whether it was ever said - which has never harmed its career as a motto.
The link with boxing is direct: it is the same logic as Spartan laconism, the art of answering in two words. In a gym that is called keeping your guard and letting them come.
The 13 designs
All are printed on a black ground and run from one side of the beanie to the other. The selector names them one by one:
Technical specifications
The tip: the faded American flag and vivid American flag designs carry the same drawing: only the saturation of the flag separates them. The faded runs to ochre and khaki, the vivid keeps a clean blue and a vermilion red. At three metres that is the only difference you see.
You may also like
- Aztec Mexican - Sun Stone in white line work, green and red panels - if you want a design from another civilisation.
- No Boxing No Life - 9 designs, lettering and portraits - if you want a boxing design.
- Brazilian jiu-jitsu - the Brazilian flag cut into the lettering - if you want your discipline written out.
Going further
Frequently asked questions
What does Molon Labe mean?
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ means come and take them. It is attributed to Leonidas answering Xerxes, who demanded the Greeks surrender their arms before the battle of Thermopylae, in 480 BC. It is reported by Plutarch close to five centuries later, and its authenticity is still debated.
How many designs are there?
13, selectable one by one. Eleven carry a Greek helmet, one a helmeted skull, and two take the same American flag helmet at two levels of saturation.
What size is a long beanie?
One size: the knit stretches both ways and absorbs the difference in head size. The guide is visual - the beanie should cover the top of the ears without squeezing the temples. Flat it measures 28 cm / 11 in tall by 26.8 cm / 10.6 in wide.
What is the difference between a long beanie and a turn-up beanie?
The long beanie, or slouchy, falls on the nape with no cuff and is worn loose: that is the cut of this model. The turn-up knit folds over and lays a double thickness of knit on the ears, for a height of 21.5 cm / 8.5 in once folded.
Can it be worn outside the gym?
The long cut is worn loose towards the back or folded once on the forehead. The print covering the whole surface, the design stays visible either way, though a fold hides the lower part of the drawing.
How do you wash a beanie without stretching it?
Hand wash cold, no spin, then dry flat. A beanie hung up or put through a tumble dryer stretches out and loses the hold that keeps it over the ears. Do not iron the print.
