Proskynesis

Proskynesis /ˌprɒskɪˈniːsɪs/, proscynesis /ˌprɒsɪˈniːsɪs/, or proskinesis /ˌprɒskɪˈniːsɪs/ (Greek προσκύνησις, proskýnēsis; Latin adoratio) was a solemn gesture of respect for the gods and people; among the Persians, it referred to a man prostrating himself and kissing the earth, or the limbs of a respected person. Proskynesis (adoratio) was one of the religious rites of the Greeks and Romans.

In the Byzantine ceremonial, it is a common gesture of supplication or reverence. The physical act ranged from full prostration to a genuflection, bow, or simple greeting that concretized the relative positions of performer and beneficiary within a hierarchical order (taxis).