caestus

ancient boxing glove

Also known as: cestus

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

The caestus was a type of ancient boxing glove used by boxers in ancient Rome. It consisted of leather bands, often weighted with lead or iron, designed to inflict more damage.1

Early forms of boxing, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, involved bare-fisted contests. The Greeks later developed "sharp thongs" with hard leather over the knuckles. The Roman caestus was a more brutal evolution, sometimes incorporating metal or spikes. These gloves were used in both sporting and gladiatorial contexts, with contests often being extremely violent and sometimes fatal.2

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boxing
Early years
… developed a glove called the caestus (cestus) that is seen in Roman mosaics and described in their literature; this glove often had lumps of metal or spikes sewn into the leather. The caestus is an important feature in a boxing match in Virgil’s Aeneid (1st century bce). The story of…
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… developed a glove called the caestus (cestus) that is seen in Roman mosaics and described in their literature; this glove often had lumps of metal or spikes sewn into the leather. The caestus is an important feature in a boxing match in Virgil’s Aeneid (1st century bce). The story of…
Read More