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ἐπὶ Ἄτυος τοῦ Μάνεω βασιλέος σιτοδείην ἰσχυρὴν ἀνὰ τὴν Λυδίην πᾶσαν γενέσθαι, καὶ τοὺς Λυδοὺς τέως μὲν διάγειν λιπαρέοντας, μετὰ δὲ ὡς οὐ παύεσθαι, ἄκεα δίζησθαι, ἄλλον δὲ ἄλλο ἐπιμηχανᾶσθαι αὐτῶν. ἐξευρεθῆναι δὴ ὦν τότε καὶ τῶν κύβων καὶ τῶν ἀστραγάλων καὶ τῆς σφαίρης καὶ τῶν ἀλλέων πασέων παιγνιέων τὰ εἴδεα, πλὴν πεσσῶν τούτων γὰρ ὦν τὴν ἐξεύρεσιν οὐκ οἰκηιοῦνται Λυδοί.

ποιέειν δὲ ὧδε πρὸς τὸν λιμὸν ἐξευρόντας, τὴν μὲν ἑτέρην τῶν ἡμερέων παίζειν πᾶσαν, ἵνα δὴ μὴ ζητέοιεν σιτία, τὴν δὲ ἑτέρην σιτέεσθαι παυομένους τῶν παιγνιέων. τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ διάγειν ἐπ᾽ ἔτεα δυῶν δέοντα εἴκοσι.

Ηροδότου, Ιστορίαι, Βιβλίο Α:94:3-4

In the reign of Atys son of Manes there was great scarcity of food in all Lydia. For a while the Lydians bore this with what patience they could; presently, when the famine did not abate, they looked for remedies, and different plans were devised by different men. Then it was that they invented the games of dice and knuckle-bones and ball and all other forms of game except draughts, which the Lydians do not claim to have discovered.

Then, using their discovery to lighten the famine, every other day they would play for the whole day, so that they would not have to look for food, and the next day they quit their play and ate. This was their way of life for eighteen years.

Herodotus, Histories, Book 1, Chapter 94, Sections 3-4. English translation by A. D. Godley, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1920.

Mancala – Egyptian Variants
Hnefatafl – Alea Evangelii
Hnefatafl – Ard Ri
Hnefatafl – Tawlbwrdd
Hnefatafl – Brandubh
Hnefatafl – Tablut
Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum – Duodecim Scripta – The Game of Twelve Inscriptions
Men – The Game of 16 Lines
Ludus Latrunculorum (Latrunculi)
Tab (Tâb), الطاب (Al-Taabu)
 
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Mancala – Egyptian Variants
Hnefatafl – Alea Evangelii
Hnefatafl – Ard Ri
Hnefatafl – Tawlbwrdd
Hnefatafl – Brandubh
Hnefatafl – Tablut
Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum – Duodecim Scripta – The Game of Twelve Inscriptions
Men – The Game of 16 Lines
Ludus Latrunculorum (Latrunculi)
Tab (Tâb), الطاب (Al-Taabu)
previous arrow
next arrow

Rota

December 15, 2017 By Eli 10 Comments

Roman Rota Game in the Old Forum, Leptis Magna, Libya. Photo: Pablo Novoa Alvarez, 2011.

Hnefatafl – Tablut

November 17, 2018 By Eli 1 Comment

Tablut Board from Iter Lapponicum by Carl Linnaeus, 1732 - The Linnean Society of London, Manuscript GB-110-LM-LP-TRV-1-2-1, Folio 135 fragment

Hnefatafl – Tawlbwrdd

November 25, 2018 By Eli Leave a Comment

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