Roman Salute

[Stephanos]

Greetings to you.
I was directed here from another forum where there is the same discussion about the Roman salute. I find your discussion very interesting and just want to add some of my thoughts.

Regarding the picture of these two Armenian soldiers saluting an officer: That salute somehow reminds me more of that listening gesture, when you put your hand at your ear, than today's military salute.

[tlclark]

This is a valuable resource on saltues and gestures in Roman Art

Author Brilliant, Richard.
Title Gesture and rank in Roman art; the use of gestures to denote status in Roman sculpture and coinage.
Imprint New Haven, The Academy, 1963.

Might be useful to the discussion.

Travis

[Tarbicus]

Thanks Travis, and it ain't cheap hock:

As we've discussed origins and touched on the possibility of a pre-historical salute, etc, here's an interesting piece which refers to the above book also:
[url:hoj9jz3k]http://chicagoschoolmediatheory.net/glossary2004/gesture.htm[/url]

In Cicero's De Oratore and Quintilian Institutiones Oratoriae the use of gesture is described as one of the most important elements of convincing rhetoric. Richard Brilliant's study of the art of the Roman Empire demonstrates how gesture was conceived of as a sign of education, character and social standing of the individual. [7]

So, if gesture was viewed as an important means for the upper classes to distinguish themselves from the plebs, as well as being a form of language in itself, perhaps there were different salutes for the upper and lower ranks as has been suggested: One more humble and akin to tugging the forelock as a sign of recognition, which also makes the head tip forwards and down a touch if done unconsciously; The other more sweeping, theatrical, assertive and grandiose, where the very action of doing it makes the body reach up taller and also straighten more?

That salute somehow reminds me more of that listening gesture, when you put your hand at your ear, than today's military salute.

I still think it's a proper salute. :wink:

[Marius_Ursus]

This is just an aside...and rather off-topic, but as far as the modern salute goes, I read years ago in Strange Stories and Amazing Facts that the modern military salute was born when Queen Victoria was going to visit a new ship in the British fleet, and the captain of that vessel ordered his crew to shield their eyes to denote that the queen outshone the sun.

That sounds a lot like a legend, and given the British style of salute, the hand would hardly shield the eyes from a glare with the heel of the palm in the vertical position as it is.

Still a nifty story, though...albeit with a 90% BS factor.

[tlclark]

Thanks Travis, and it ain't cheap

Sorry, I spend most of my day in the libraries at either Temple or Penn, which means I can just go to the shelf.

I forget that a lot of people don't have a major university library handy.

Tell you what. It's the holidays now, but when I get back I will check it out and post anything that's valuable.

Consider me your Inter-library-Loan!!

thanks. :wink: