A broad belt or girdle, particularly one worn as a symbol of rank, authority, or magical power in ancient mythology and literature.
From Greek kestos, meaning 'embroidered' or 'woven.' In Greek mythology, Aphrodite's magical girdle was called the ceste, and the term evolved to mean any decorative belt of significance.
In Homer's Iliad, Aphrodite's ceste is described as having the power to make anyone who saw her fall in love—it's basically ancient literature's magical artifact, and the word shows how Greeks imagined power could literally be worn.
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