BOXING, the exercise of fighting with the fists, either naked or with a stone or leaden ball grasped in them. In this sense boxing coincides with the pugillatus of the Romans. When the champions had epaizan, or balls, whether of lead or stone, it was properly denominated epaiziazyn. The ancient boxing differed from the pugna castuum, in which the combatants had leathern thongs on their hands, and balls to offend their antagonists withal; though this distinction is frequently overlooked, and fighting with the caestus ranked as part of the business of pugiles. Three species of boxing may be distinguished, namely, where both the head and hands were naked; where the hands were armed and the head naked; and where the head was covered with a kind of cap, called amphotides, and the hands also furnished with the caestus.
Boxing is an ancient exercise, having been in use in the heroic ages. Those who prepared themselves for it used all the means that could be contrived to render themselves fat and fleshy, that they might be the better able to endure blows. Hence corpulent men or women were usually
called pugiles, according to Terence. Siqua est habilior paulo, pugilem esse ainit.