I love the Roman Forum and have spent many hours just wandering around
looking for little things that remain or left there mark from the past.
These game boards are one of them, they were played by the poor average
Roman citizen just idling away the one thing he was rich in...free
time.
=A0=A0Below is a trip report on the location of the games I've found.
Regards, Walter
=A0=A0
There are game boards (tabulae lusoriae) etched into the marble steps
and pavements in and around the Roman Forum. "...boards for games of
skill and dexterity, used by the boys, loungers, and idlers who, as
ancient sources record, crowded into the Forum every hours of the day
and night." ["The Roman Forum" Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma]
=A0=A0I don't think anyone really knows exactly how the were played. A
guess? Because they were in public places vs homes perhaps some could be
played at the "spur of the moment". Meaning the board is already there
and the game pieces would have had to have been easy to access, such as
coins or small stones. Or they could have been played by regulars who
would have say the gamepieces (metal or marked bone poker-like chips,
dice, etc) and possibly entice passers-by in a little game of chance?
Rather like the "3-Card Monte" dealers on streetcorners in major cities
(1 theory and circle game photos
http://home.austarnet.com.au/maat/contorniates.html ). The majority are
what I'll call "Hole Games", these are holes usually bored into steps.
They are deep enough to catch something that could be pitched (or
possibly rolled...small ball?) like a small stone, a small coin, dice,
etc.
=A0=A0They are mostly found where there would be a backstop such as the
next step or a wall. They are sometimes in a neat order [::::] or
scattered [:=B7.=B0=95:.=95].
=A0=A0They went to alot of trouble to bore these deep holes into the
marble steps whereas the other gameboards are just etched into the
marble. That and the backstops leads me to believe that something was
tossed in this type of game.
=A0=A0Next were "Circle Games", usually a circle cut-up like a pizza (in
eighths) and usually on a pavement or a wide step. Although there is a
large version in a rectangle in the Forum of Nerva and 2 half circles on
the steps of the Basilica Julia with a backstop. =A0=A0And finally
"Rectangular Games" (rare I've only found a few) the rectangle is
usually divided either vertically or horizontally by lines and between
the lines are symbols. The best one is on the pavement in front of the
altar steps in the Forum of Augustus, it is groups of laid-down 8's like
the infinity symbol and groups of X's. I'll start at the Via dei Fori
Imperiali entrance to the Roman Forum. Before you enter turn right and
walk down the sidewalk along the main street over to between the 2nd &
3rd lampost. Walk over to the sidewalk railing and look down on a large
section of large marble pavement slabs. =A0=A0The distant 2 slabs have a
rectangular game cut-up into eighths on one and a circle game on the
other with another faded circle game just below that one on the same
slab. =A0=A0Now look to your left and the 2nd slab from the far end also
has a circle game on it. =A0=A0Look over your right shoulder 45deg, far
across the street is the Forum of Augustus. Viewed from the sidewalk
over there looking straight down in front the steps to the altar towards
the left end is a rectangular game with symbols and 2 circle games
(faded) on the small remaining sections of pavement, 1 just above it and
the other to the right of that one. =A0=A0Walk back over and enter the
Forum down the ramp. Turn right and walk towards the "Arch of Septimius
Severus" down the Via Sacra, all along your right are the remains of the
"Porticus of Giaus and Lucius" this was a columned walkway (with steps).
Behind that was the "Tabernae Novae" merchant stalls, mostly money
changers (bankers) and behind that was the "Basilica Aemilia" (these
were all connected and formed 1 large building). =A0=A0Now just past the
halfway point of the Portius after an open entranceway into the Basilica
you will see a marble base of what looks like a headless man with
outstretched arms. In front of that is a step (fragment) with the half
remains of a "circle game". =A0=A0Keep walking and you will come to a
marble ring with a plaque. That is the "Shrine of Venus Cloacina", look
over past it to the left and you will see a "hole game" on the steps.
Also to the left of the Shrine closer to you a step fragment with
another "hole game". =A0=A0Now turn around and face the fenced-off Forum
Square. You will see pedestal bases, walk over to the right of the 2nd
one and peer over that large stone block. The stone block behind it has
a "hole game" on it. =A0=A0Now walk to the Arch of Septimius Severus,
the archway on the left has 3 games in it. When in the middle archway
look at the left side of the doorway that goes into the left arch there
is a "hole game" there. Walkout of the middle arch and look into that
same left archway, there is a "hole game" on the rightside of the
doorway and a faded circle game on the pavement. =A0=A0Now look over to
the "Temple of Saturn", the road on the right is called the "Clivus
Capitolinus" and goes uphill to the Capitoline Hill. Oddly there are 2
"circle games" on the pavement stones at the top section of this road.
The 1st is faded and just past the "Portico of the Consentes" and the
2nd clearer and just before the end where the modern steps are. =A0=A0A
guess?: This wasn't a crowded roadway because it lead mainly to the
"Temple of Jupiter" on the hill and was mainly used for Triumphs
(military victory parades). And I believe there was a more direct access
via a staircase behind the Arch of S. Severius that led to the
Tabularium and the middle of this hill (Arx) which was between the 2
major temples. Also in the winter this section of road was probably
exposed to the Sun for most of the day, if you're going to hang around
all day might as well be in the warm Sun. =A0=A0On the leftside of the
"Temple of Saturn" is the marble protruding base of the Temple (like a
step) and directly beneath the left/rear column on that side is a "hole
game". Walk past the Temple of Saturn over to the other Via Sacra
section which runs down the otherside of the Forum Square. The Forum
Square will be on your left and the Basilica Julia on the right.
http://www2.siba.fi/~kkoskim//rooma/pages/FBIULIA.HTM They have found
~80 game boards on the steps and on the floor of the Basilica Julia. The
basilica is fenced-off so only the games on the steps are viewable.
=A0=A0In the basilica they held civil tribunals (court cases), the
interior could be curtained-off into multiple court rooms or opened-up
for larger high-profile cases.
=A0=A0I suppose if there were no chariot races or gladiator combats
going on this would be the place to go for entertainment esp during a
high-profile court case. I have read that lawyers sometimes would hire
these "loungers and idlers" to cheer their defendant and jeer the
opposition. Cicero (not in this basilica) once hired orphans off the
street to play the dependent children of his client. =A0=A0 On the
steps are where most of the games in the Forum can be found. You will
come across the 1st and most famous in ~10m
http://www2.siba.fi/~kkoskim//rooma/pages/165_021B.HTM No one seems to
know what the letters mean but that odd "A" I have seen in a word on a
ancient pot in the Forum Museum. Also a few inches above the "R" there
is a piece of metal fused into the step. This basilica has burned down a
few times, most notably in the 410AD Visigoth sacking and burning of
Rome.
=A0=A0Walk slowly along the steps and you will see alot of "holes
games". Also in the Forum behind you between the 2nd & 3rd large brick
column bases, ~2m from the fence you will find a "circle game" on the
actual Forum pavement.
=A0=A0The last section of steps at the end of the basilica have some
interesting games. On the top step (hard to see) between the 3rd & 4th
column stump from the end is this game
www.vroma.org/images/forum_project_images/RF.Bas.Julia.gameboard.jpg And
on the steps in the area of the 2nd column stump are two half circle
games (faded) on the 3rd step.
=A0=A0And if you walk down the short side of the basilica on the Vicus
Tuscus there are some hole games on the 2nd entrance stairs also farther
down is a single step in the grass with a "hole game". =A0=A0In this
area on the steps of the basilica you will notice what looks like molds
cut deep into the steps. In the Middle Ages the basilica was used as a
lime kiln. My guess is that these were molds for hammers or wedges to
split the marble. Also there is a deep bowl-like mold on the 2nd side
staircase, could this have been used for crushing/pounding the finished
lime from the burnt marble? Fill the bowl with molten metal and stick a
metal rod into in and you would have a large pestle "----l)"? I hope to
find out someday, I'm very curious and someone went to alot of trouble
to cut these into the marble steps. Now walk over to the nearby corner
of the Forum Square, there is what looks like a small brick building.
That is the remains of the "Rostra ad Divi Julii (Divine Julius)".
=A0=A0There is a fragment (next to the waste bin of a "hole game".
Turn left on that short street that connects the 2 Via Sacra's. Looking
into the Forum Sq. you will see a "hole' and "circle game" on fragments.
Now on the otherside of this street there is a large rectanglar block of
stone directly in front of the "Temple of Divine Julius" right alongside
this street. That was the base of the equestrian statue of Julius
Caesar. There is a "hole game" on top of it and some type of graffiti.
On the ground on the otherside of it is a fragment with a "hole game".
=A0=A0Now walk over to the Temple of Divine Julius, on the steps to the
right of the entrance over to the corner are 2 "hole games". And on the
rightside of the building there is another "hole game" and a small
graffiti on those steps.
=A0=A0Now walk over to the "Temple of Antoninus and Faustina". The steps
have been reconstructed in brick with the few remaining marble steps in
place. On the 3rd step on the extreme left is a "hole game". =A0=A0The
next games are at the other end of the Forum area. They are on the
marble steps that lead into the "Temple of Roma and Venus". They go from
the "Arch of Titus" over to the modern building that houses the Forum
Museum. On them are "hole games" at each end and a "rectangular game" on
the 6th step along the metal railing on the arch side.



..And Paradise Was Lost...like teardrops in the rain...

In article ,
[email protected] (Poetic Justice) wrote:

    > I love the Roman Forum and have spent many hours just wandering around
    > looking for little things that remain or left there mark from the past.
    > These game boards are one of them, they were played by the poor average
    > Roman citizen just idling away the one thing he was rich in...free
    > time.
    >   Below is a trip report on the location of the games I've found.
    > Regards, Walter

Very interesting -- thanks for the post. You evidently know more about
ancient Rome than I: do you suppose these were mostly gambling games? ISTR
that the lottery was a big thing.

(Didn't Borges write a story about a city state ruled entirely by its
lottery?)