Posted on 02/10/2020 5:06:34 AM PST by BenLurkin
In northwest Europe, meanwhile, the Viking game Hnefatafl popped up in such far-flung locales as Scotland, Norway and Iceland. Farther south, the ancient Egyptian games of Senet and Mehen dominated. To the east in India, Chaturanga emerged as a precursor to modern chess. And 5,000 years ago, in what is now southeast Turkey, a group of Bronze Age humans created an elaborate set of sculpted stones hailed as the world’s oldest gaming pieces upon their discovery in 2013.
Senet is one of the earliest known board games. Archaeological and artistic evidence suggest it was played as early as 3100 B.C., when Egypt’s First Dynasty was just beginning to fade from power.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, upper-class members of Egyptian society played Senet using ornate game boards, examples of which still survive today. Those with fewer resources at their disposal made do with grids scratched on stone surfaces, tables or the floor.
Senet boards were long and lithe, consisting of 30 squares laid out in three parallel rows of ten. Two players received equal numbers of gaming tokens, usually between five to seven, and raced to send all of their pieces to the end of the board. Rather than rolling dice to determine the number of squares moved, participants threw casting sticks or bones. As in most complex strategy games, players had the opportunity to thwart their opponent, blocking the competition from moving forward or even sending them backward on the board.
Earlier game boards boast completely blank playing squares, but in most later versions, the final five squares feature hieroglyphics denoting special playing circumstances. Pieces that landed in square 27’s “waters of chaos,” for example, were sent all the way back to square 15—or removed from the board entirely.
(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...
Or Mystery Date
They played RISK with real people and real estate............
Too bad they didn’t have Squad Leader back then. They would still be trying to figure out the rules and too busy to actually fight each other.
Played that once with a service member relative. Pretty much took him half a day to get the rules through my thick skull.
Advanced Squad Leader is even worse. The rule book is so thick that they had to come up with a ‘Starter Kit’ series (now up to Vol 4) to teach you how to play. I have all 4 by the by. And a few others here on the boat.
Best 2 player game after chess?
Duel 7 wonders!
Did some checking...the vase I was thinking of was painted by Exekias and was found in a tomb at Vulci (Etruscan city). It is now in a museum at the Vatican. Excellent work of art. The reverse side of the vase shows Castor and Pollux returning home.
I made and played Jetan after reading Burrough’s book Chessmen of Mars. It was a fun Chess variant. Played 1863 Civil War Game in the 1960s—a fun way to learn the Civil War History. A few times the south won.
I made and played Jetan after reading Burrough’s book Chessmen of Mars. It was a fun Chess variant. Played 1863 Civil War Game in the 1960s—a fun way to learn the Civil War History. A few times the south won.
:^)
Gaius: [at Palace] Six again. Augustus: Ahhh. Gaius: One, two, three, four, five, six. Augustus: Hmmm. Now what will you do? Gaius: I'll put two legions in the port and stop the corn supply. Augustus: Not bad. Rome can't live without corn but you've got your back to the sea and that's not good. Still, that's your decision. Lucius, your turn. Lucius: Six! Augustus: Oh, these dice have got nothing but sixes. Lucius: One, two, three, four, five, six. Belgica. Belgic's mine. Augustus: Ahhh. Go on throw again. Lucius: Two... One, two. I'll take Britain. Augustus: You can't, you've only got three legions left. Lucius: Hmmm. Julius did it. Augustus: He didn't stay long though, did he... Slave: [knocking] Augustus: Oh yes, what is it? Slave: Caesar, your stepson, the noble Drussus Nero begs to take his leave of you. Augustus: Oh, yes, yes. You can come with me. Lucius: Can't we finish the game first? Augustus: Later. We have a duty to perform and duty comes before pleasure. Now, come and say goodbye to the man who commands all our armies in Germany. Now, come one, come on, come on. And no sulks, that's not the Roman way. Augustus: So, you're leaving us. Drusus: Yes, Caesar. Augustus: And glad to go, I daresay. Drusus: I go where I'm sent Caesar, but if you ask me, yes I am glad to go. Augustus: Haha. I don't blame you. When I was your age, I wanted to be with the army too. Look, I brought Gaius and Lucius to say goodbye. We've been playing Empire. I've already lost Egypt and Syria. Lucius: May I ask Drusus a question? Augustus: Yes, go ahead. Lucius: How many legions would you need to invade Britain? Drusus: Ah. Hmmm. Four. Yes, and a great deal of auxiliary cavalry as well. Lucius: Couldn't you do it with three? They're very uncivilized. Drusus: It's not worth the risk. You see, on a fresh venture, you must hit hard and quickly. And if you have to send for reinforcements, it just gives the enemy breathing space. Gauis: I'll do it one day. Drusus: Well, I doubt it's worth it. There's nothing of value there and the people make very poor slaves. Augustus: Now say goodbye and wait for me upstairs. Gauis: Goodbye then. Lucius: Goodbye. Drusus: Goodbye... You should read Julius' commentaries on his campaign in Britain. Gauis: I've already read it. Twice. Lucius: So have I. Goodbye. Augustus: And don't move the tokens while I'm gone. I know where they are... They're good boys. We'll have need of them one day...
Et tu, SC?
‘Face
;o]
The die is cast!
Apparently I suffer from an appallingly poor education and have not seen that dialog before. Could you take pity on a poor soul and provide a reference or source.
Hey, if it weren't for appallingy poor education, I'd have no education at all. In typing that joke, I managed to misspell education both times, two different ways, and also screwed up appallingly. :^) The dialogue is from the BBC's production (1980?) of "I, Claudius". Not a documentary, very low budget, but a lot of fun.
“Hnefatafl”
gesundheit
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