A variant spelling of balteus; a broad military belt or baldric worn by Roman soldiers or officers.
From Latin balteus with variant spelling. This alternative form appears in some Roman texts and classical Latin literature.
The fact that even Latin had spelling variations shows that standardized spelling is a modern invention—ancient Romans spelled balteus, baltheus, and balteus interchangeably, just like we argue over 'doughnut' vs 'donut' today.
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