Posted on 11/23/2021 11:13:28 AM PST by Red Badger
In the 1980s, the board for a game was found scratched onto the second-century stones of a Jerusalem city square, inspiring speculation as to the nature of the game played on it. Many of the ideas proposed have been brutal, reflecting the fact the players were probably soldiers in the occupying Roman Army. However, a new explanation proposes what we are seeing is actually the ancestor of checkers (draughts).
The scratchings are located near Hadrian's Gate, built by the Romans to celebrate their crushing of yet another Jewish bid for freedom. In this context, it's understandable some of those looking at the small board thought it was used to play a game to honor the god Saturn, with a prisoner chosen in the process executed at sunset.
Nir Wild isn't an archaeologist or professional historian, but an organizer of historical reenactments currently working on a set of events around Jerusalem based on archaeological finds there as part of this year's Hanukkah celebrations. Hanukkah, after all, celebrates a more successful Jewish uprising against foreign occupiers.
In this context, Wild was keen to identify the nature of the game played at the site so it could be played again 1,800 years on. Fortunately, he concluded, that didn't mean even having to pretend to execute anyone at sundown.
A board game dating to the Roman period scratched onto the stone flooring of a city square has been confounding researchers ever since it was discovered near Jerusalem's Damascus Gate in the 1980s. Now an expert says he knows what it is https://t.co/pOG3Kp882r
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) November 22, 2021 Instead Wild claims the game is one known as Alquerque, which eventually evolved into checkers. Like so many things, the Romans pinched it from elsewhere. "Alquerque originated in Ancient Egypt," Wild told Haaretz. We know this because there are representations of the game on the walls of tombs. "A board was never found, only pictures of it. It always looks the same, with the triangles.”
The board has turned up various places since, including a 10th-century book of poetry. Wild is confident we know how it was played, at least approximately, because 1,100 years after the Romans carved the board into the stones near Hadrian's gate the King Alfonso X of Castile commissioned the Libro de los Juegos, or the Book of Games, with rules. Alquerque was one of those included.
Each player had 12 pieces or "soldiers" and the aim was to “eat” the soldiers of one's opponent. The winner was the one to eat all the opposing soldiers. “We know about a few versions regarding the rules and different names to the game but basically all the same target and manner of victory,” Wild told IFLScience. All moves were similar to checkers, but with less capacity for pieces to move backwards once they had reached the other side. The original version also did not allow the taking of multiple pieces in a single move, which must have made the game considerably less satisfying.
The Israeli Antiquities Authority confused the game with Nine Man Morris, which Wild calls “A more common board game” with a somewhat similar board, and although some were aware of the Libro de los Juegos, he said they were not aware of the Roman and Egyptian records of Alquerque so did not make the connection.
Violence and torture may have been more common in the ancient world than today, but killing prisoners wasn't a requirement for resting soldiers to have fun.
PinGGG!........................
Do not pass the Forum, do not collect 200 Denarii.....................
“In this context, it’s understandable some of those looking at the small board thought it was used to play a game to honor the god Saturn, with a prisoner chosen in the process executed at sunset.”
I’ve never heard of the Romans having such a game. Did they, or did somebody just make this up?
From time immemorial, soldiers have tended to be partial to gambling games. And just about anything can be turned into a gambling game.
"Germany is weak. I will put the hurt on Germany."
You’re a road apple Newman..,.
Since the names of games have evolved over time, I wonder if the ancient Europeans didn’t play Cathay checkers.
No Germany in Risk. Only Northern Europe. You probably wanted to use something around at the time of the Roman Empire, but no Albion or Gaul, either.
ISWYDT.....................
I think it was Ukraine.
They’d still be around now if only they’d seized and locked down Australia so as to generate 2 new armies every turn
Alquerque?
I knew I should’a taken a left turn at Albuquerque.
Ukraine?? No wonder Varus lost those legions! :-)
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They played for keepsies!.................
Thanks Red Badger. The Romans took a dim view of draughts evasion.
“...The Romans took a dim view of draughts evasion.”
*groan*
‘Face
;o]
Wanna bet?
;^) I learned a thing or two about constructing puns during my, uh, checkered past.
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