apuleiaprimilla: Rock crystal game counters, marked with the numbers V - VIII - XI - XII. These were
apuleiaprimilla:Rock crystal game counters, marked with the numbers V - VIII - XI - XII.These were known to Pliny the Elder as ‘oculi’, or eyeballs, due to their rounded appearance as a consequence of being melted.They were made by slicing small sections of canes (c. 5 - 10 mm thick), arranging them on a surface such as a terracotta tile and reheating them in a furnace until they deformed under the influence of gravity, resulting in a flattened, rounded ‘button’ shape.Ludus Latrunculorum (the game of little soldiers or mercenaries), by far the most popular of all Roman board games was exempt from the law, as it was considered to be a game of skill and strategy, and could be played openly.Martial (AD 40 - 104) records how intellectuals proudly competed in public Latrunculi championships, much like modern chess tournaments. The less privileged improvised their tabulae lusoriae (gaming boards) by scratching grids in the sand, on tiles, stone or wooden scraps, using stones, nuts, or glass calculi or gaming counters.1st - 2nd century AD© Trustees of the British Museum, London -- source link
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