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ProskynesisProskynesis, formed from the Ancient Greek words pros and kuneo literally means "kissing towards", and refers to the traditional Persian act of prostrating oneself before a person of higher social rank. According to Herodotus in his Histories, a person of equal rank received a kiss on the lips, someone of a slightly lower rank gave a kiss on the cheek, and someone of a very inferior social standing had to completely bow down to the other person before them. To the Greeks, giving proskynesis to a mortal seemed like a totally barbarian and ludicrous practice. The Greeks were the only people who, because of their environment and culture, had a very distinct idea of freedom, independence, and autonomy, therefore bowing down to any mortal was out of the question for them and they reserved such submissions for the gods only. This may have led some Greeks to believe that the Persians worshipped their king, who was the only Persian which received proskynesis from everyone, and other misinterpretations caused cultural conflicts. Alexander the Great proposed this practice during his lifetime.
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