a cudgelling to death , a military punishment for desertion or other capital offences: fustuarium meruerunt legiones, quae consules reliquerunt, Cic.Phil. 3, 6, 14; Liv. 5, 6, 14 Drak.; id. Fragm. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 825; cf. Dict. of Antiq. p. 464.