www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The Roman Senate

Dear Stuart,

Thanks . . . I . . I think . . .

Alex

Well, more seriously, Alex. . .

There was an entire vocabulary of rhetorical gesture in classical antiquity. The way one sat (the classic pose being that of the of the Phidian Zeus, right leg extended, left leg folded back, left arm folded in lap, right arm holding baton or stylus on right knee); the way one moved; the way one combined arm movements with words--it was a fully-formed "art". My guess is that two fingers as a way of getting attention was part of that vocabulary, and that it evolved mainly for aesthetic reasons, long ago forgotten.

Dear Stuart,

Yes, Fr. Keleher was once describing the two-fingered Sign of the Cross of the Old Believers and the Christogram, and related this to the Roman Senatorial way of forming the fingers as one raised the hand to call attention to oneself.

Fr. Keleher said that while the meaning of the shape of the fingers in Roman times is lost, the Christians gave it a Christological and Trinitarian meaning.

He also said the Romans used it to symbolically say that "I have something very important to say so will y'all listen up!"

I was at a meeting when everyone started talking and there was disruption in the proceedings.

I held up my fingers in that way, and the older members immediately shut up and sat back.

Interesting!

Alex