The ‘Roman Backgammon’ Game is Kept Alive in the Ancient City of Syedra
The 12-sign game (ludus duodecim scriptorum), which was popular in the Roman period and also known as "Roman backgammon", is being introduced to visitors in the Syedra Ancient City in Alanya.
With the support of the General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, excavations continue throughout the year in the approximately 3,000-year-old ancient city in the Seki Neighborhood. The 250-meter-long Columned Street, which forms the center of the city and the theater, assembly, bathhouse, cisterns and the cave called "Baptism" that were unearthed in the excavations in the settlement area, are among the prominent places in Syedra. The stone block of the "12-sign game", known as the popular game of the Roman period and an early version of backgammon, found in the excavations attracts the attention of visitors to the ancient city. There is an information board about the game in the ancient city. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer said that they could call the game "Roman backgammon" or "table game". Stating that it is similar to the "tabula" game from the Byzantine period, Ergürer said, "We found its pieces during the cleaning excavations during the restoration work on Columned Street. We completed the missing parts by drawing them on glass. Those who want can come and play the game here after being informed".
IT IS SIMILAR TO MODERN BACKGAMMON
Ertuğ Ergürer stated that they think the game is played with 15 pieces and two or three dice. Stating that the game requires a little more strategy, Ergürer said, "While playing this game, we can advance as much as the sum of the two dice you throw or the individual numbers of the dice. As in modern backgammon, the 'breaking' method is also available in this game when you catch your opponent's pieces alone. That's why the pieces in this game are generally tried to advance 2-2. After a certain advancement, the game ends when all the pieces are collected at the end".
Ergürer, who stated that there are views that the game comes from the senate game in Ancient Egypt, said that they have not reached such a similarity.
Ergürer said that they think the game was an important social activity of the Roman period and said, "We know that this game existed until 2100 years ago. We do not know how much further back it goes or whether it existed before. We only know that this game was famous in the Roman and Byzantine periods".
IT WAS INSTALLED ON THE COLUMNED STREET
Ergürer, who stated that they put together the pieces of the game they found in the area close to the Columned Street, said that they set up the game block on the Columned Street because they thought it was played at a central point in the past. Ergürer, who mentioned that they have seen similar game blocks in some ancient cities, said, "We wrote an informational article in English and Turkish about how the game is played, but they take the stones we put here as souvenirs. We have been putting them in their places so far, but I do not know how long it will take. We want people to know and play the historical game in a historical place".
