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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robinjojo, post: 4525358, member: 110226&quot;]I found this explanation of the open right hand online:</p><p><br /></p><p><i><font size="5">&quot;The open hand itself also carried meaning, as it represented the oath taken by soldiers declaring their unflagging loyalty to the Republic and upholding its ideals. In addition, the ancient Roman (pre-Christian) Manus Deior or Manus Domini, the Hand of God in Latin, also referred to a Dextera Dei or Dextera Domini, the Right Hand of God. It is very likely the Romans also considered an iconographic gesture of blessing symbol by the Gods, well before it became a Christian symbol. Unlike the open hand depicted in Christian art, the Roman Artist/Engraver had no trouble terminating the open hand just before the forearm. The open hand was a common icon, especially when viewed atop the Manus standard with legionary emblems providing the base or termination to visually conceal the appearance of an appendage as amputated.&quot;</font></i></p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s a link to the source (the font is very small):</p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p><font size="4"><a href="http://ancientnomosart.org/exhibits/roman-republic-240-bc/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://ancientnomosart.org/exhibits/roman-republic-240-bc/" rel="nofollow">http://ancientnomosart.org/exhibits/roman-republic-240-bc/</a></font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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