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"Legionary" handshake?
#1
So, I was told long ago when I first got into "Romanity" that a legionary handshake was a forearm-to-forearm grip.

But then later, I was told "No, that's Greek. The Romans shook hands like we shake hands."

But then I saw this (attached) Greek grave stella in a museum, showing Greeks shaking hands exactly like we do.

So. . . what evidence of this is there of Romans shaking hands, one way or the other?

Inquiring minds want to know! Big Grin

-M
Michael Sweet, Ph.D.
Viking Invasion [url:31zephj0]http://www.vikinginvasion.org[/url]
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#2
maybe this forearm-to-forearm handshake was only for soldiers? or there where several other variants, just like people do nowadays...
MARCVS DECIVS / Matthias Wagner
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#3
In the image you posted, it looks more like a man (right) and a woman (left) holding hands. Perhaps they are husband and wife?
Cheryl Boeckmann
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#4
There are examples of this from Roman coins, even Emperors doing so and I must agree the picture is a couple of opposite gender.
Brian Stobbs
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#5
Quote:... Greek grave stella in a museum, showing Greeks shaking hands exactly like we do.
The dextrarum iunctio (right "handshake") is found in funerary contexts and is thought to represent continued fidelity after death.

Of course, the logical conclusion would be that people commonly shook hands to indicate fidelity -- not just when they were dying! Smile
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#6
You're right, that's not a man-to-man handshake.

At the museum, there was another stella of a man shaking his son's hand (with the mother/wife standing behind) and it was believed to be the grave of a son who died before his parents. The picture I took of it did not come out that well.

You're also right that grave stellae are not a great place from which to draw "evidence" about how the living shook hands for other reasons than to say goodbye forever.

I'd love to see a picture of those coins showing handshakes.

-M
Michael Sweet, Ph.D.
Viking Invasion [url:31zephj0]http://www.vikinginvasion.org[/url]
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#7
Quote:I'd love to see a picture of those coins showing handshakes.
There are a lot of coin types showing this sort of thing, disembodied hands denoting harmony and concord (usually when folks were noticing a distinct lack of harmony and concord :wink: ).
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#8
... and here's one showing a full-figure handshake -- this time, it's Probus pretending to enjoy the Concordia Militum ("unity of the soldiers")! :wink:

(The gesture may be symbolic -- remember, that's an emperor and a goddess, not real people. But I reckon if emperors and goddesses did it, ordinary people probably did it, too. :!: )
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#9
I tried a little Googling but didn't find anything.

Thanks for posting those! Big Grin

-M
Michael Sweet, Ph.D.
Viking Invasion [url:31zephj0]http://www.vikinginvasion.org[/url]
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#10
Quote:Thanks for posting those! Big Grin
No problemo (as the Romans say)!
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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