ANCIENT DICE GAMES

ROMAN DICE - Rome 200 B.C. In the cloakroom of the open-air Senate Chamber in ancient Rome, a group of senators who have abandoned a dull debate are enjoying dice - a popular game in the heyday of the Roman Empire. The two boys are pages and dressers for the senators who donned the ceremonial robes only for the Senate Chamber itself. This game used three dice. Two dice were used in the first toss and the third was for a second toss if necessary. The dice were marked as they are today and were thrown from a leathern cup. Pairs and three-of-a-kind were scored nearly the same as modern poker hands.Three sixes were named "Venus" and counted highest, three aces counted less and were called "the dog." The betting was open and wagers could be placed on each toss or the total of rolls by an individual player.

KING'S DICE - England 12th century In the days of the Plantagenet kings of England, buffoonery was left to the clowns while the court jester was often an advisor to the king as well as director of entertainment for the court. Here, the jester demonstrates to Henry II a new dice game acquired from the recently conquered Anglo-Saxons. As well as claiming the king's attention, this new game has also interested the royal bodyguard (at the right) who will probably see to it that this pastime soon reaches the barracks. The game was played with blank, unmarked dice which fell from the funnel to the numbered, wedgeshaped sections beneath. The numbers of all areas touched by the dice were totaled. The perfect play was when a die landed on the hub of the numbered sections, gaining a total of 21.

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