[xte]

? Pollice verso is a latin expression for disapprove, used normally by Roman's emperor to refuse right to live of a gladiator...

How this phrase can go "either way"?

Ps English is not my motherlanguage so I may made many mistake than maybe sound strange for other readers, if that's the case please point it out, it's a valuable lesson for me.

[wulfmann]

What I meant by that was it has not been agreed upon by historians as to whether the phrase means approval or disapproval.

Source: I did a short paper once on the painting by Gérôme of the same name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollice_Verso_(G%C3%A9r%C3%B4m...