12-29-2012, 08:36 PM
How often, and in what circumstances, did Romans shake hands?
The handshake gesture is shown on many coins, often marked Concordia or Fides - a gesture of trust, fellowship etc.
But was it also used as a gesture of greeting, as we do today? In Roman literature, men often seem to greet each other by hugging, even kissing.
In a lot of films, and even in some recent novels, Romans greet each other by clasping their forearms - does anyone know where this (apparently ahistorical) gesture originated?
Is it just that a manly wrist-clasp (and a bit of a bracer-rub!) seems more 'Roman' to modern sensibilities than a hug and a kiss?
;-)
The handshake gesture is shown on many coins, often marked Concordia or Fides - a gesture of trust, fellowship etc.
But was it also used as a gesture of greeting, as we do today? In Roman literature, men often seem to greet each other by hugging, even kissing.
In a lot of films, and even in some recent novels, Romans greet each other by clasping their forearms - does anyone know where this (apparently ahistorical) gesture originated?
Is it just that a manly wrist-clasp (and a bit of a bracer-rub!) seems more 'Roman' to modern sensibilities than a hug and a kiss?
;-)
Nathan Ross