game-board
- Museum number
- 1892,0121.1
- Description
-
Rectangular marble block with polished surface and incised inscription, the so-called Game of "12 lines" (duodecim scripta).
- Production date
- 1-300
- Dimensions
-
Height: 82.55 centimetres
-
Width: 36.83 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Gatti calls this a tabula lusoria, of which a further 4 had been found in, and just outside of Rome. He suggests that the first two lines are formulaic, referring to the activity of the Circus, but that the wording of all 5 boards varies in the 3rd line.
‘Tabula’ was usually a gambling game, and probably a later refinement of a version called ‘Duodecim Scripta’, or ’12 lines’. Each player had 15 pieces each, which were moved around the board in opposite directions, according to the roll of three dice. A piece resting alone in a space on the board was vulnerable to being ‘hit’.
There are three incised patterns on the centre of the board, suggesting that this is in fact a gameboard for Duodecim Scripta; these markers were removed by the later version of ‘tabula’, leaving just two rows on each side of the board.
Bibliography:
- Gatti, G. (1887) Bullettino della Commissione Archaeologica Comunale di Roma, p. 190-191, no. 1925
- Kekulé, R. (1890) Bonner Studien, p. 237
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2005 22 Jan-16 Jun, Wallsend, Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum, Across the Board
2005 23 Jul-17 Sep, Exeter, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Across the Board
2005 1 Oct-31 Dec, Gosport, Discovery Centre, Across the Board
2006 28 Jan-1 May, Leicester, New Walk Museum & Gallery, Across the Board
2006 26 May-3 Sep, Lincoln, City and County Museum, Across the Board
2006-2007 23 Sep-21 Jan, Luton Museum, Across the Board
- Acquisition date
- 1892
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1892,0121.1
