CAESTUS, or CESTUS (from

See also:

• LAT

Lat. caedo, strike)  , a gauntlet or boxing-glove used by the ancient pugilists . Of this there were several varieties, the simplest and least dangerous being the meilichae (petAixat), which consisted of strips of raw hide tied under the palm, leaving the fingers bare . With these the athletes in the palaestrae were wont to practise, reserving for serious contests the more formidable kinds, such as the sphaerae (o-4aipat), which were sewn with small metal balls covered with leather, and the terrible murmekes (uupµrlKES), sometimes called " limb-breakers " (yvrorbpot), which were studded with heavy nails . The straps (iµavres) were of different lengths, many reaching to the elbow, in order to protect the forearm when guarding heavy blows (see J . H . Krause, Gymnaslik and Agonistik der Hellenen, 1841) . The caestus is to be distinguished from cestus (= embroidered, from KEVTEZV), an adjective used as a noun in the sense of " girdle," especially the girdle of Aphrodite, which was supposed to have the power of exciting love .