Roman Board Games

Board games have a long history, going through all time and surviving the digital age.
Board games are characterized by their social character, where friends and family meet to enjoy leisure time.
In this sense, the Romans were not indifferent to board games either.

The Mill game (Ludus Merellus), the Seega game, the soldier game (Ludus Latrunculorum) and the Tabula (Duodecim Scripta) are examples of Roman board games.

On the next pages you will find the rules of these games. Challenge your friend and have fun!

The Mill game is part of a set of games that are characterized by the goal of placing three pieces in a line in a row; will be the origin of the current Three in a Line games, sucha as the Rooster Game. Known since the time of Ancient Greece, the Mill game is thought that the Phoenicians were responsible for its dissemination. It's possible to find traces of this game in Monasteries and Churches.

The Soldier game was a very popular game among the soldiers, hence its name, being carried by the Roman legions to all parts of the Empire. Often designed on the ground itself and practiced with pebbles or small stones, the Soldier Game is characterized by being a military strategy game, where the board works as a battlefield and the pieces as soldiers.

The Tabula or Game of Twelve in a Row was a very popular game in the early years of the Roman Empire. Several emperors were great enthusiasts of this game, as the board found itself stuck in some carriages so that the emperor could play during the trip.

Mill Game (Ludus Merellus)

No. of participants: 2 players
No. of pieces: 18 game pieces, 9 for each player.
Purpose of the game: To make a Mill, that is, to place three pieces in a row, “three in a row”, and remove as many pieces as possible from the opponent. The one who captures the most pieces wins.

Rules:
• In turn, each player places 1 piece on the board. The objective of the game is to place 3 pieces in a row, joined by a line - Mill;
• When all pieces are in place, players will move them in a straight line;
• The movement consists of sliding a piece along to an adjacent place marked on the board, to an adjacent (adjacent, next to) side that is empty; the pieces can't jump freely on the board;
• When a player makes “three in a row” he may remove an opponent's piece of his choice, except for those who are making “three in a row”;
• The pieces, three in a row, form a “Mill”;
• Only the player himself can undo his “Mill”;
• Pieces removed from the board, don't get in the game anymore;
• Wins the game, who can reduce the opponent's pieces to 2, can not do “three in a row”, or who blocks the opponent's pieces.
• If a player moves a piece from his “Mill” undoing that “mill”, he can only return that piece to the place from which it came out after three throws of play. However, the place may be occupied immediately by any piece of play by both players, according to the rules of the game.

Note: The one who captures the most pieces, or the player who blocks all moves to the opponent, even if he has fewer pieces wins.

1st phase
Each player places two pieces at the same time on the board in any of the empty squares. After placing the 32 pieces (16 of each), each of them put their own Dux.

2nd phase
• In turn, each player moves a piece in any direction, one square at time, except diagonally, in an attempt to capture the opponent's pieces and Dux. To do this you have to lock a piece in a vertical or horizontal line between two of your own pieces, it is called a custody. However, a piece can play into the space between two opponents without being captured.
• Captured pieces are eliminated from the game;
• Who has captured 1 piece plays again and is the piece that has just moved, allowed custody, to play again;
• Dux moves like other pieces, but can jump over the opponent's piece to an empty square to block and capture a piece. Warning: Dux can capture like this, but you don't have to do that;
• Dux can also be captured like other parts. The game goes on;
• Wins, who capture the most pieces of the opponent. The game ends when no move is possible and in this case wins who has the most pieces in play. If there are no catches for 30 throws, the game is over. Win who has more pieces.

Note: In the first phase no catches are made, the custody is a consequence of a movement and this only occurs in the second phase.

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