Ancient Salutes

[CaesarAugustus]

Something I have been wondering for awhile...

We all know how the soldiers of Rome saluted their military superiors, and indeed it has been copied many times throughout history. My question is this: how did the soldiers of other ancient "factions" (Carthage, Sparta, Persia, Gallic tribes?) salute/acknowledge their military superiors? Was the Roman salute originally copied over from some other ancient fighting force? Did all other "factions" (a shiny green balloon for whoever can come up with a batter word for me to use than "factions") even have a form of military salute or did they acknowledge their superiors in a different way?

Sorry for the random question, btw.

[cmacq]

A greeting or submission?

See the tops of the outside Roman standards?




The timeless, cross-cultural, international symbol of obedience (trust???) over all those unit insignia.

[overmind2000]

A better word to use for "factions" would be "states".

[cmacq]

Right, like prostration, bowed body, foot on back of neck/head, kneeling finger kiss, or other such methods of supplication.

[pezhetairoi]

uh, but isn't the intent of the question to inquire about salutes and signs of respect and obedience, not subjugation and submission?

[cmacq]

uh, but isn't the intent of the question to inquire about salutes and signs of respect and obedience, not subjugation and submission?

In some cultures is there a distinction?

[Long lost Caesar]

better word than faction would be civilization gimme my balloon. and as for the salute, i suppose others would do something similar. maybe they hammered their fist onto their hearts, crossed their arms or simply stood up straight.

[CaesarAugustus]

overmind2000 gets a , Long lost Caesar gets a

and as for the salute, i suppose others would do something similar. maybe they hammered their fist onto their hearts, crossed their arms or simply stood up straight.

Any specific examples? Hammering the fists onto the heart makes me think of Spartans for some reason, probably becuase of 300...

In some cultures is there a distinction?

I would think that there is a distinction between respect and obedience compared to subjugation and submission, especially in the military. I doesn't really make sense to go prostrate or kneel and kiss your commmander's finger every time he passes by or gives an order, especially close to or in the midst of battle. I was wondering if other civilizations had a military salute comparable to that of the Romans, a brief sign of acknowledgement of that would be used in battle, or in any other situation that a soldier couldn't kneel in front of his superior and kiss his feet.

[Hax]

Kingdoms, maybe? Though some really didn't have a king. States would be the best, aye.

[Conradus]

The word state only appeared in the late Middle Ages afaik.

[Dayve]

Independent Fiefdoms. I demand you retract the other balloons and give it to me.

Something over which one dominant person or group exercises control

Originated in 1805, but you never narrowed it down to which millenium the word had to be from.

[Long lost Caesar]

I demand you retract the other balloons and give it to me.

dont even try it son.
and yeah, the hammering the heart thing reminds me of sparta as well. maybe another (especially for warring civilizations such as the celts) was simply to shake your fist in the air and call out the commanders name, since it would happen after a victorious battle, and so would become the sign of a great leader.

[pezhetairoi]

I think the so-called 'barbarians' did not actually have a salute, considering they did not really have a strict military hierarchy at all. They were very strongly aware of the idea of 'freedom', so joining the warband of their chietain would have been their choice, and were able to leave if the chieftain no longer commanded their respect. The thing that kept them in their bands was not discipline and the inculcation of a habit of saluting or other forms of respect, since that would be enforced and no longer what I supposed the tribesmen would have seen as being free, but rather the chance of loot, patronage, glory and a rise in prestige under a chieftain. So I doubt they had anything like a salute on a regular basis, save what L.L. Caesar has mentioned, which would actually fall more under acclamation rather than salute.

[The Persian Cataphract]

I currently suffer from a lack of ample time to explain the rather vast list of salutes/physical addressals exhibited amongst the Ancient Iranians; Some of them submissive, some with religious impact, and some purely formal means of salutations. It all ranges from proskynesis (προσκύνησις), to the Parthian-style salute (Erkâs - Simply an open right hand in a non-elaborate but polite gesture) and later Sassanian salute (Erkâs - Respectfully with hand[s] under the armpit[s]). Religious salutations may be the pointed index finger, coined by the Zoroastrian chief Môbêd, Kârtîr. I can dig up a few photos at some other time.

It is hard to imagine Partho-Sassanians, for all their renown and cosmopolitan nature would lack a physical means of formal greeting

[pezhetairoi]

Which would be the more military forms of salutes? I think that would be the interesting part.

[CaesarAugustus]

Sassanian salute (Erkâs - Respectfully with hand[s] under the armpit[s]).

Definently the most interesting salute I've heard of, a shame it didn't survive into modern times.

[J.Alco]

I'd imagine that a fairly easy salute (thought perhaps not a military one) would be to place the hand flat on the left shoulder, with your arm crossing your chest, and bow your head. A simple, minimal gesture that celarly communicates that the person before you is The Boss. I don't see why Gaul, Lustonannan, Iberian, or even Carthaginian and Greek nobles wouldn't use this gesture.

[Mouzafphaerre]

Definently the most interesting salute I've heard of, a shame it didn't survive into modern times.

.
Actually it did, with a slight variance. To better word it, a slight variance does survive within some particular communities.
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