L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold." - Joseph Chilton Pearce Humans have been playing games forever. Even without evi- dence of proof, I wouldn't be sur- prised if Adam initiated the first game of Solitaire before Eve came along to distract him. After all, we are hardwired to play, whether it be strategic board games, athletic endeavors, or sim- ply mindlessly bouncing a ball. There is, however, wonderful evidence that offers us a glimpse into the world of games played by the ancient Romans. As skilled adapters, the Romans embraced and altered the best of glorious civilizations such as those of Greece, Egypt, and the Etr- uscans. And this included recre- ational games. Although the phrase "Roman games" conjures up instanta- neous imagery of gladiators fran- tically swinging swords at beast or foe, or barely dressed athletes hurling discs and javelins, the more common games were a bit less dramatic and much more sedentary. Archeological evi- dence is rich with remnants of board games, and written accounts offer insight into other common types of games played by aristocrats and commoners alike. With such emphasis on power and might in the Roman empire, board games were often a reflec- tion of wit and strategy required to cut off and subdue a competi- tor. One of the most prevalent was Ludus Latrunculorum – or Latrunculi, a game of pure strat- egy played on an etched stone board using counters and dice. Translated, the game's name means The Game of Mercenar- ies, and its strategy was quite similar to Checkers. Thanks to the writings of Roman poet Piso (1st century AD), adequate infor- mation is available for under- standing the rules of play. Should your inner-Roman soldier get bored, Latrunculi reproductions can be purchased online today. In April of this year, archeol- ogists uncovered a Latrunculi game board during excavations along Hadrian's Wall at Vin- dolanda, a Roman fort in what is now northern England. Suffering a huge crack down the middle, experts speculate the board was repurposed for flooring in the bathhouse where it was discov- ered. No one is sure how the board met its fate, but an on-site spokesperson offered one reporter a colorful explanation: "You can almost picture the los- ing Roman tipping the board up in frustration, causing it to break," he says. And next time you're strolling through the Roman Forum, look down along the steps of Basilica Julia for a Latrunculi game board etched in stone. You might want to have the play rules in your pocket and give it a try! Another common strategic board game, origins unknown but popularized by ancient Romans, was Nine Men's Mor- ris. The many surviving etched boards throughout what was the Roman Empire attest to its popu- larity, particularly among sol- diers and laborers. The diagram of the board consists of a square grid holding two additional squares inside, all connected by 24 intersections, with the end goal to create "mills" (connected squares) with the players' game pieces. The game became espe- cially trendy in medieval Eng- land; many boards can still be found carved on cathedral seats. Good distraction if the sermon should drag on a bit! But why such an English sounding name for this ancient game? It's believed the moniker Morris derives from the Latin term for game piece - merellus – while the English version was adapted via a mention by Shake- speare in a Midsummer Night's Dream. Its popularity has endured: Nine Men's Morris is found in game stores today and can even be played on a smart phone app. If feeling lucky, there were certainly ways to test the fates for ancient Romans. Dice games with a bet attached were com- mon, if unlawful. The game of Tali involved the use of four dice with hopes of rolling four differ- ent numbers from the fritillium cup to win. Another, Tesserae, called for rolling three dice. A score of three sixes was consid- ered the high score, also known as a Venus in honor of the god- dess of love. Gambling laws aside, archeological evidence paints a literal picture of the daily practice. Murals found within ancient sites such as Pompeii depict scenes of dice games, while a sign unearthed at a Prae- torian camp boldly states that good food and open gambling tables could be found within. Professor R. Lanciani (1896) summed it nicely: "So intense was the love of the Romans for the games of hazard, that wherev- er I have excavated the pavement of a portico…a basilica…a bath…any flat surface accessible to the public, I have always found gaming tables engraved…on the marble or stone slabs for the amusement of idle men, always ready to cheat each other out of their money." Which leads us to yet another popular game involving risk tak- ing – Ludus Duodecim Scripto- rium -- The Game of Twelve Inscriptions. A type of Backgammon, this game was prevalently played amongst the wealthy, although evidence sug- gests commoners played, as well. Most every excavated villa in Pompeii has a board table carved somewhere within! It's believed the stylized writing on the boards was a ruse to cover the intended usage for gambling; an inscrip- tion was merely signage to relay a message, right? Philosophical engravings have been found on boards such as – "To hunt, to bathe, to play, to laugh, this is to live" – and even menu options such as on one excavated from an ancient Roman tavern. Simpler games were enjoyed by young and old alike in ancient Rome. Similar to modern Jacks, the game of Knucklebones was played using goat or sheep knucklebones (what else!) tossed and caught according to varia- tions based on age and gender of the players. Game pieces are fre- quently found in excavation sites, and play is often depicted in anti- quated murals and statues. Terni Lapilli, a predecessor of Tic-Tac-Toe, was another easi- ly played game involving two players with three stones apiece strategically moved on a wheel or rectangular shaped diagram. Game boards etched in stone can still be found throughout Italy and beyond. Hopscotch – a game most everyone played at some point during childhood – originated as a strength and agility training exercise for Roman soldiers. A 100-foot-long series of squares were scratched into the ground for fully armored soldiers to hop through – not unlike what mod- ern athletes do today with rows of tires. It's said that children in the British Isles copied the soldiers, creating the beloved game we know today. The array of games used for recreation are greater than can be covered here, but needless to say, the ancient Romans excelled as inventive and reinventive game players. However, I was surprised there was no evidence of an ancient version of Monopoly! Now there's an idea… PAULA REYNOLDS LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE A game of nine men's Morris, which the ancient Romans invented…in spite of the very Anglosaxon-sounding name © Delstudio | Dreamstime.com The original Roman knucklebones was played using goat or sheep…well, knucklebones © José Ovi Jiménez Almara- les | Dreamstime.com Games of Ancient Rome

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