The Manus?

[MarcusNorwood]

Before I posted this thread I did a search of the Roman Manus and what it meant to no avail. A few sources I read stated that the original meaning of the Manus was lost to time. I assume the open hand represented power.

Oddly there is a church near my father's hometown that has a hand with the index finger pointing to the sky.

[M. Demetrius]

I can't remember where I read it, but if accurate, I read that the hand reminds the soldier of the oath of loyalty he took on enlisting or joining the legion.

As for the index finger, a few years back that symbolized the "One Way" as written in John 14:6. It may be the same for the church near you.

[C Crastinus]

By "Roman Manus" are you referring to the open hand that was sometimes on top of the signum? The author of the related wikipedia entry states that it may represent the oath of loyalty taken by the soldiers, but unfortunately I don't know German, so I can't read his or her source for that.

I must confess that I have been guilty at times of having "Roman hands and Russian fingers," but I don't think that's what you're referring to.

[PhilusEstilius]

I think that Manus means hand, by the hand, or maniple, to manipulate as where seen on a Roman standard it must surely relate to a double century or Maniple, to manipulate an enemy into where you want them ie to your advantage.

[markhebb]

I can't remember where I read it, but if accurate, I read that the hand reminds the soldier of the oath of loyalty he took on enlisting or joining the legion.

As for the index finger, a few years back that symbolized the "One Way" as written in John 14:6. It may be the same for the church near you.

re: sacramentum - That was the theory put forth by H.Von petrikovits in his article 'Sacramentum' - an english translation can be found in "Rome and her Northern Province"s ed. B. Hartley and J. Wacher, 1983, pp. 178-201

[Mark Hygate]

It's not something I have any linguistic background to back up, nor indeed have anything but some simple deductions to pose; but the relationship of the original 'hand' (manus?) at the top of the normal century standard I have always assumed to be directly linked to the original maniple idea - let alone the Roman predilection for 'pairing'. My interests indeed have always been more linked to the organisational structures.

That said, it does seem that the manus standards of century-pairs (maniples) are likened to a pair of hands operating together. Once established it then becomes custom and practice and is enshrined forever.

The whole idea of the maniple-tactic is to provide a flexible response to the rigid lines of the phalanx (and here I'm thinking of the spear & pike/sarissa use of the word, rather than just any formed body of troops), with the intent to 'manipulate' and break up the line.

One could, indeed, describe the manipular tactic as 'many hands making light work'. :-D

[Sean Manning]

By "Roman Manus" are you referring to the open hand that was sometimes on top of the signum? The author of the related wikipedia entry states that it may represent the oath of loyalty taken by the soldiers, but unfortunately I don't know German, so I can't read his or her source for that.

Indeed, the reason some of us are confused is that manus is simply the Latin word for "hand." Metaphorically it could mean "a band of armed men" or "power." So we know exactly what the word means, but to learn why Roman standards had a hand on them you would have to ask the Roman army experts.