The salutatio indicates the act of greeting and, by extension, visiting or offering a gift
In its simplest meaning, it represents the morning greeting that the dominus or pater familias received from the clientes. The latter generally represented all people of lower rank who exercised a form of reverence towards their patron. The salutatio, uttered with the simple phrase Ave or Ave dominus, was often exercised by the clientes to obtain the benevolence of the master, with a small gift of money or food, the sportula.
The clientes went early in the morning to the domus or the villa of the dominus to pay their salutatio, a token of their respect and act of obedience and submission.
