RomanArmyTalk

Hello all

I read a while ago that a popular salute of defeat among athletes was to raise a single finger (fore finger) to show defeat/submission. It can be seen on some imagies of runners.

Can anyone shed any light on this, is it a popular indication of defeat?

I am asking specifically because a modern writer once linked this with the gladiatorial signal of defeat.

There is a vase showing pangration where the guy on the ground is looks helpless and lifts his hand as accepting defeat. I´ll try to see if I can find my old school book for references if I remember where I put it.
Perhaps the writer is right on linking it with the gladiators.

For info: there is another gesture with the hand that possibly Leonidas used when he said MOLON LAVE and it is a gesture of defiance to put it mildly.
Kind regards
Stefanos

The raised forefinger was more a sign akin to the "Time out" sign in the US or the thumb up in France, which is also meant to ask for a break.
The mosaics show gladiators making that gesture and they are shown only lightly wounded, still standing and not really in a submissive posture.
It may mean that they asked the referee for time so they could get patched up and get on with the fight.

I'd say the sign is still in use. If someone interrupts a conversation it can be used to tell the interrupter to politely "hold on a sec" without taking attention away from the conversation.