The Roman salute is a closed finger, flat-palm hand raised at an angle (usually 45 degrees) and was used by the Roman Republic.

It was also the historical civilian salute of the United States, from 1787?-1934?.

When the Nazi party of Germany adopted the Roman salute from the Italian fascists, President Roosevelt instituted the hand over the heart (by presidential order #?) as the salute to be rendered by civilians during the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem in the United States.