Adoratio
(
προσκύνησις).
1.
A form of worshipping the gods, according to which the worshipper prostrated himself before
the statue of the deity, and then kissed his hand and waved it towards the image. While so
doing, he moved his whole body around, usually from left to right. Hence,
se
convertere is sometimes used for
adorare (
Livy, v. 21).
2.
The
adoratio paid to the Roman emperors was a form of salutation
borrowed from the East, and consisted of prostration on the ground and kissing the feet,
knees, or dress of the emperor. Livy speaks of this as
adulatio. It was
not a part of the ordinary etiquette of the court before the time of Diocletian.