AncientPages.com - Clapping is a common international behavior when we wish to show our appreciation of something. It's something we simply do, especially when we are in large groups.
But when exactly did clapping become the norm for expressing applause? When did we start clapping to show appreciation? As a matter of fact, it turns out that clapping is an ancient and widespread behavior.
Researching ancient history we learn that the practice of clapping as a way of applauding can be traced to ancient Greece as well as ancient Rome.
Roman mosaic of choregos and actors, from the House of the Tragic Poet, Pompeii.
According to University of Chicago theater professor and Northlight Theatre dramaturg Gavin Witt, clapping was well established even in 4th Century B.C. Athens, where performers "competed for prizes and paid applauders to influence judges."
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The ancient Romans, on the other hand, had a set ritual of applause for public performances. People expressed degrees of approval. They could snap the finger and thumb, clap with the flat or hollow palm, wave with the flap of the toga, for which last the emperor Aurelian substituted a handkerchief (orarium), distributed to all Roman citizens. Some ancient Roman emperors really enjoyed clapping. Emperor Nero, established a school of applause and was followed on his concert tours by a claque of 5,000 knights and soldiers.
Ancient relief of clapping Egyptian women.
It should be added that we are not the only species to put together our hands. Gorillas, chimps, and orangutans sometimes clap their hands to get attention. However, clapping as a sign of joy or approval is a learned behavior and to our best knowledge limited to humans.
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