Cestus
A cestus or caestus is an ancient battle glove, sometimes used in pankration. They were worn like today's boxing gloves, but were made with leather strips and sometimes filled with iron plates or fitted with blades or spikes, and used as weapons.
Terminology
The word caestus is Latin, a deverbal noun derived from the verb caedere, meaning "to strike", and can be reasonably translated as "striker". The Latin plural is caestūs (since this is a fourth declension noun, where cestus in the second declension - nominative plural cestī - means a girdle or belt). In English, "cestuses" can be used.
Early Greek cestuses
The first cestuses in Ancient Greece were used in boxing-like competitions. Called meilichae (μειλίχαι), these gloves consisted of strips of raw hide tied under the palm, leaving the fingers bare.
The Greeks also invented a variation called the sphaerae (σφαῖραι), which were sewn with small metal balls covered with leather.
Roman cestuses
The Roman variant included straps of different lengths, many reaching to the elbow, in order to protect the forearm when guarding heavy blows.Caestūs were frequently used in Roman gladiatorial bouts, both against each other and against other weapon-wielding gladiators. Despite seemingly outmatched by other types of gladiators, a single hit from a cestus would have incapacitated most fighters. The cestus-fighter would have otherwise had no body armour.
Podcasts:
-
by Xystus
Lost In Misery Trilogy Iii. Why Me?
by: XystusI admit to cry and scream
Can't this merely be a dream
Didn't believe what they say
But now we're seperated by death
Our characters the same
One's fault the other's blame
Now that you're gone and I'm alone
It's pale where the sun once shone
All the things that we have been through
Sorrow and joy I gave you
Living by each other's strength
I knew you, you knew the me
It all happened way too fast
I can't accept this ain't no end
You must be hiding somewhere
No please God this ain't fair
Why me?
I'm being swallowed by these questions
Why me?
Shivers down my spine
Why me?
I'm being punished for no reason
Why me?
Lost in misery
There are things you can't control
Before you know it claims you whole
Letting go might seem the worst part
Think again when grief's tearing you apart
Try remembering the good things
Still submit yourself to sadness
Because he who pushes all away
Severely suffers every day
Why me?
I'm being swallowed by these questions
Why me?
Shivers down my spine
Why me?
I'm being punished for no reason
Why me?
Lost in misery
All shaken I awake
The nightmares in my sleep
Dreams of you I cannot rest
Scared of the person I knew best
Cold and left behind
The one I loved ain't here tonight
I'll pay for a visit therefore instead
I feel relieved facing my own death
Why me?
I'm being swallowed by these questions
Why me?
Shivers down my spine
Why me?
I'm being punished for no reason
Why me?