Cestus

A cestus is an ancient battle glove, sometimes used in pankration. In effect, it is the Classic World’s equivalent to brass knuckles.

The Latin word caestus (plural caestūs) ^[1] is derived from verb caedere, meaning “to strike”. It is unrelated to the similar noun cestus (plural cestī), that refers to a kind of belt worn by women in Ancient Greece. [1]

The first version of a battle cestus was a series of leather thongs that were tied over the hand. Greeks used them in their hand-to-hand competitions, where only knock out mattered. Romans modified the construction by adding metal parts, including spikes, studs and iron plates. Variants of this weapon include the myrmex or “limb-piercer”, and the originally Greek sphairai, thin leather thongs with cutting blades.

[ratings]

Cestus were frequently used in roman gladiator bouts where otherwise unarmed combatants - mostly slaves - fought to the death. This form of boxing became increasingly bloody until the cestus was officially banned in the 1st century BC ^{[citation needed]}. Hand-to-hand fighting was banned in 393 AD ^{[citation needed]}.

The most famous depiction of the cestus in sculpture is The Boxer of Quirinal, in Rome. The sitting figure is wearing cestus on his hands.