04-16-2008, 12:57 AM
Avete,
Is there much literary evidence about the 'court' etiquette of Roman Emperors ? Specifically, I'm interested in physical gestures. Do we know, for example, if Senators were expected to bow or genuflect in the Emperor's presence before speaking to him ?
IIRC, the only source I know of is rather late, that being Procopius who mentions that Senators were expected to kow-tow at the feet of Justinian and his Empress and kiss one of their shoes.
But I'm interested in the earlier periods up to and including the Later Empire. I'm sure etiquette was evolving all the time but are there any specific examples ?
Perhaps the writings of Symmachus could reveal something ? Most of his works, afaik, are not translated into english.
(BTW, I'm reminded of the scene from 'Gladiator' when Marcus Aurelius approaches Maximus on the battlefield and the regular legionaries do a little bow in his presence. Nice touch, I thought.)
~Theo
[edited the title]
Is there much literary evidence about the 'court' etiquette of Roman Emperors ? Specifically, I'm interested in physical gestures. Do we know, for example, if Senators were expected to bow or genuflect in the Emperor's presence before speaking to him ?
IIRC, the only source I know of is rather late, that being Procopius who mentions that Senators were expected to kow-tow at the feet of Justinian and his Empress and kiss one of their shoes.
But I'm interested in the earlier periods up to and including the Later Empire. I'm sure etiquette was evolving all the time but are there any specific examples ?
Perhaps the writings of Symmachus could reveal something ? Most of his works, afaik, are not translated into english.
(BTW, I'm reminded of the scene from 'Gladiator' when Marcus Aurelius approaches Maximus on the battlefield and the regular legionaries do a little bow in his presence. Nice touch, I thought.)
~Theo
[edited the title]
Jaime
