Assess The Importance Of 'Persian Customs In Herodotus'

136 Words1 Pages
Herodotus explains the Persian customs in Book 1 of his historical accounts.
The Persian’s have many customs which Herodotus explains but the custom of kissing is most interesting. When Persians encounter one another on the street, the way they greet each other defines their social status. When people meet and they are equal in status, instead of addressing each other they kiss on the mouth. This creates an equal respect for one another because one is not treated different than the other one. When people meet and one is lower in status, they kiss each other on the cheek showing respect for both and no one is disrespected in public. When people meet on the street and one is much less inferior, the inferior person bows in respect to the