Salutatio

• Salutatio, meaning Salutation, was a Roman Tradition preserved in Roman Law.
• It was the requirement of the Client to attend on his Roman Patron at dawn, in formal dress, the Roman Toga, and to greet him thus showing him reverence, respect and friendship.

The Ritual

• Each morning, starting before dawn, from roughly 0600 to 0800, a crowd gathered for an audience with their Patron.
• The Roman Emperor held a Salutatio every morning at the Imperial Palace.
• Visitors were grouped by social class with the most important visitors presented first and the least important presented last. In return the Patron would support his clients in the law courts, by bestowing favours, or with gifts of food or money.

Roman Law

• Clientela or clientship was recognised in Roman Law as an obligation between Client and Patron.
• Freed Slaves were obligated to observe Salutatio to their former masters.