Calciatori della nazionale eseguono il saluto romano

What is the “Roman” greeting, what does it mean and what is its origin? No, it was not used in ancient Rome

The alleged “Roman” greeting Of Elon Muskdenied by the person concerned, during theInauguration Day of Donald Trump as the new president of the United States, has turned the spotlight back on the meaning and true origin of the gesture. The “Roman” greeting or fascist salute it is a greeting that is performed with the right arm outstretchedforming an angle of approximately 135 degrees compared to the body, and with the fingers of the hand together, which today is widespread in extreme right-wing movements. Despite the name, the greeting it was not used in ancient Rome and has only been associated with Roman civilization for a few centuries. In the 1920s, the greeting was adopted by the fascist regime as his official greeting and today it is considered the fascist gesture par excellence. The greeting was also used in Nazi Germany and in other right-wing authoritarian regimes. Today it is widespread in neo-fascist movements. In some countries, including Italy, the “Roman” greeting is prohibited by law, but the ban only applies in specific circumstances.

What are the origins of the “Roman” greeting?

The “Roman” greeting was not used in ancient Rome. No Roman sources – neither literary, nor iconographic, nor of any other type – attests that this form of greeting was widespread. It is true that some pictorial and sculptural works from the Roman period depict people raising their right hand, but these are different gestures from the fascist salute.

Statue of Marcus Aurelius with his right arm raised
Statue of Marcus Aurelius with his right arm raised

To understand why the outstretched arm greeting is called Roman, we need to go back to the diffusion of the neoclassicisman artistic and cultural movement that drew inspiration from the Greco-Roman age, which established itself between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In 1784 a famous French painter, Jacque-Louis Davidcreated a painting dedicated to a mythical episode of Roman history, The oath of the Horatiiin which the protagonists performed a gesture that resembles the “Roman” salute as we understand it today. The painting played an important role in spreading the belief that the outstretched arm salute dates back to ancient Rome.

The Oath of the Horatii (1784)
The Oath of the Horatii (1784)

The salute was adopted during theD’Annunzio’s occupation of Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia). After the First World Warthe city of Fiume was claimed by Italy and between 1919 and 1920 it was occupied by a group of volunteers belonging to some right-wing movements, led by Gabriele d’Annunzio. During the occupation of the city, D’Annunzio militants began to use the “Roman” salute, although they generally did not perform it with their free hand, but clutching a dagger.

The Roman salute during fascism

The fascist regimeestablished in 1922 after the march on Rome, he adopted numerous symbols and forms of communication experimented during the occupation of Fiume, including the “Roman” greeting. The greeting was also chosen because the fascists, infatuated by the myth of Romethey considered the regime, improperly, as the heir of the Roman Empire (which, although erroneously, was associated with the outstretched arm salute).

During the years of fascism, political institutions did everything possible to encourage the spread of the “Roman” greeting. For example Achille Staracesecretary of the National Fascist Party from 1931 to 1939, issued numerous provisions to remind that fascists should not greet each other with the handshakebut only “Romanly”. The regime, however, never managed to completely eradicate the habit of shaking hands, which was sometimes also used by high-ranking politicians.

1930s bookmark with Roman salute
1930s bookmark with “Roman” salute

In the years between the two wars, however, the “Roman” greeting spread to parties and regimes ideologically close to Italian fascism, including the Nazism. The Hitler regime adopted a salute similar to the “Roman” one, which was generally performed with the arm more horizontal, with an inclination of around 120 degrees instead of 135.

Even in the United States a similar greeting was widespread, namely the salute to the flag which had been done since the nineteenth century in schools, but had a completely independent origin and meaning. Nonetheless, during the Second World Warsince the homage to the flag was too similar to the salute of fascism and Nazism, President Roosevelt decided to replace it with the gesture of placing the hand on the heart, which is still done today.

Homage to the flag in 1941
Salute to the flag at an American school in 1941

The fascist salute today

After the end of the Second World War and the collapse of the fascist and Nazi regimes, the use of the “Roman” salute began reduced almost to the point of disappearing. The gesture was considered a symbol of Nazism and fascism and, after the discovery of the horrors and crimes that these regimes had committed, it completely lost its appeal. It remained in use only in far-right movements, as is still the case today.

In some countries the “Roman” greeting is prohibited by law, because it recalls the totalitarian dictatorships of the twentieth century and is considered a form of incitement to hatred. In Italy it was banned by the Scelba law of 1952 and by the Mancino law of 1993. However, the ban applies only if the salute endangers public order or if it is carried out for the purpose of promoting the reconstitution of the fascist party (prohibited by Constitution). If neither of these two circumstances occurs, the salute is not illegal and, not surprisingly, it is used on many occasionswithout criminal consequences, by far-right sympathizers.

Sources

Massimo Arcangeli, That raised arm. History of the “Roman” greeting, Castelvecchi 2024

Martin M. Winkler, The Roman Salute: cinema, history, ideology, Ohio State University Press, 2009

Livia Capponi, The Caesars have nothing to do with it. Cinema invented it (and it ended up on Star Trek), “Corriere della Sera – Reading”, 17 January 2016, Question to the European Parliament – The Roman salute is not a crime unless it represents a danger to public order