ADORATION, the act of rendering divine honours; or of addressing a being, as supposing it a god. The word is compounded of ad, "to;" and or, eris, "mouth;" and literally signifies to apply the hand
Adoration. to the mouth; Manum ad os advertere, q. d. "to kiss the hand;" this being, in the eastern countries, one of the great marks of respect and submission.—The Romans practised adoration at sacrifices, and other solemnities; in passing by temples, altars, groves, &c. at the sight of statues, images, or the like, whether of stone or wood, wherein any thing of divinity was supposed to reside. Usually there were images of the gods placed at the gates of cities, for those who went in or out, to pay their respects to.—The ceremony of adoration among the ancient Romans was thus: The devotee having his head covered, applied his right hand to his lips, the fore finger resting on his thumb, which was erect, and thus bowing his head, turned himself round from left to right. The kiss thus given was called osculum labratum; for ordinarily they were afraid to touch the images of their gods themselves with their profane lips. Sometimes, however, they would kiss their feet, or even knees, it being held an incivility to touch their mouths; so that the affair passed at some distance. Saturn, however, and Hercules, were adored with the head bare; whence the worship of the last was called institutum peregrinum, and ritus Graecorum, as departing from the customary Roman method, which was to sacrifice and adore with the face veiled, and the clothes drawn up to the ears, to prevent any interruption in the ceremony by the sight of unlucky objects.—The Jewish manner of adoration was by prostration, bowing, and kneeling.—The Christians adopted the Grecian rather than the Roman method, and adored always uncovered. The ordinary posture of the ancient Christians was kneeling, but on Sundays standing; and they had a peculiar regard to the east, to which point they ordinarily directed their prayers.