Cestus

Cestus (Gr. kestos, 'embroidered'), a girdle worn by Greek and Roman women, but at what part of the body is somewhat uncertain. It was worn apparently between the cingulum, which was a sash or girdle over the tunic just under the bosom, and the zone, worn mostly by young unmarried women lower down the body, just above the hips. According to Winckelmann, the cestus was itself worn round the loins; according to Heyne and Visconti, immediately under the bosom. The cestus of Aphrodite was covered with such alluring representations of the joys of love that she who wore it was irresistible. It was borrowed by Hera when she desired to win the love of Zeus. —CESTUS, or more correctly, CESTUS, the boxing gauntlets worn by the ancient prize-fighters, which consisted of leather thongs bound round the hands and wrists. They sometimes reached as high up as the elbows, and were armed with lead or metal bosses to increase the force of the blow.