THE PRACTICE OF PROSKYNESIS IN CLASSICAL GREECE ACCORDING TO HISTORIOGRAPHY, DRAMATURGY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISES

This article examines the practice of proskynesis in classical Greece based on historical, dramatic, and philosophical sources. The author analyses the etymology and usage of the verb προσκυνέω, emphasising its original meaning as a religious act of worship toward the gods, particularly chthonic deities. Through an analysis of works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and other authors, it is demonstrated that the Greeks accepted proskynesis only when directed at deities, considering it humiliating when addressed to mortals. Particular attention is paid to episodes in which proskynesis is depicted as a symbol of subservience and denial of freedom, especially in the context of Greco-Persian relations. The article highlights that the refusal to perform proskynesis was both a religious and political-ethical act for the Greeks. In conclusion, it is proposed that proskynesis in Greek culture was not a specific gesture, but a set of ritual non-verbal acts expressing reverence, whose meaning evolved under the influence of historical circumstances and cultural interactions.