CESTUS. (1) The thongs or bands of leather, which were tied round
the hands of boxers, in order to render their blows more powerful
(ἱμάντες, or ἱμάντες πυκτικοί). The cestus was used by boxers in the
earliest times, and is mentioned in the Iliad; but in the heroic
times it consisted merely of thongs of leather, and differed from the
cestus used in later times in the public games, which was a most
formidable weapon, being frequently covered with knots and nails, and
loaded with lead and iron.--(2) A band or tie of any kind, but more
particularly the zone or girdle of Venus, on which was represented
every thing that could awaken love.
[Illustration: Cestus. (Fabretti, de Col. Traj., p. 261.)]
CETRA, or CAETRA, a target, _i.e._ a small round shield, made of the
hide of a quadruped. It formed part of the defensive armour of the
Osci, and of the people of Spain, Mauritania, and Britain, and seems
to have been much the same as the target of the Scotch Highlanders.
The Romans do not appear to have used the cetra; but we find mention
of _cetratae cohortes_ levied in the provinces. Livy compares it to
the _pelta_ of the Greeks and Macedonians, which was also a small
light shield.
CHALCĬOĒCĬA (χαλκιοίκια), an annual festival, with sacrifices, held
at Sparta in honour of Athena, surnamed _Chalcioecus_ (Χαλκίοικος),
i.e. the goddess of the brazen-house. Young men marched on the
occasion in full armour to the temple of the goddess; and the ephors,
although not entering the temple, but remaining within its sacred
precincts, were obliged to take part in the sacrifice.
CHALCUS (χαλκοῦς), a denomination of Greek copper-money. Bronze or
copper (χαλκός) was very little used by the Greeks for money till
after the time of Alexander the Great. The χαλκία πονηρὰ at Athens
issued in B.C. 406 were a peculiar exception; and they were soon
afterwards called in, and the silver currency restored. It is not
improbable, however, that the copper coin called χαλκοῦς was in
circulation in Athens still earlier. The smallest silver coin at
Athens was the quarter-obol, and the χαλκοῦς was the half of that, or
the eighth of an obol. Its value was somewhat more than 3-4ths of a
farthing. The χαλκοῦς in later times was divided into lepta, of which
it contained seven. In later times the obol was coined of copper as
well as silver.
CHĂRISTĬA (from χαρίζομαι, to grant a favour or pardon), a solemn
feast among the Romans, to which none but relations and members
of the same family were invited, in order that any quarrel or
disagreement which had arisen amongst them might be made up. The day
of celebration was the 19th of February.
CHEIRŎNŎMĬA (χειρονομία), a mimetic movement of the hands, which
formed a part of the art of dancing among the Greeks and Romans. In
gymnastics it was applied to the movements of the hands in pugilistic
combat.
CHEIRŎTŎNĬA (χειροτονία). In the Athenian assemblies two modes
of voting were practised, the one by pebbles (ψηφίζεσθαι), the
other by a show of hands (χειροτονεῖν). The latter was employed in
the election of those magistrates who were chosen in the public
assemblies, and who were hence called χειροτονητοί, in voting upon
laws, and in some kinds of trials on matters which concerned the
people. We frequently find, however, the word ψηφίζεσθαι used where
the votes were really given by show of hands. The manner of voting
by a show of hands was as follows:--The herald said: “Whoever thinks
that Meidias is guilty, let him lift up his hand.” Then those who
thought so stretched forth their hands. Then the herald said again:
“Whoever thinks that Meidias is not guilty, let him lift up his
hand;” and those who were of this opinion stretched forth their
hands. The number of hands was counted each time by the herald; and
the president, upon the herald’s report, declared on which side the
majority voted. It is important to understand clearly the compounds
of this word. A vote condemning an accused person is καταχειροτονία:
one acquitting him, ἀποχειροτονία; ἐπιχειροτονεῖν is to confirm by
a majority of votes: ἐπιχειροτονία τῶν νομῶν was a revision of the
laws, which took place at the beginning of every year: ἐπιχειροτονία
τῶν ἀρχῶν was a vote taken in the first assembly of each prytany on
the conduct of the magistrates; in these cases, those who voted for
the confirmation of the law, or for the continuance in office of
the magistrate, were said ἐπιχειροτονεῖν, those on the other side
ἀποχειροτονεῖν: διαχειροτονία is a vote for one of two alternatives:
ἀντιχειροτονεῖν, to vote against a proposition. The compounds of
ψηφίζεσθαι have similar meanings.
CHĪRŎGRĂPHUM (χειρόγραφον), meant first, as its derivation implies, a
hand-writing or autograph. In this its simple sense, χείρ in Greek and
_manus_ in Latin are often substituted for it. From this meaning was
easily derived that of a signature to a will or other instrument,
especially a note of hand given by a debtor to his creditor.