Calculi

Calculi

Type: Abstract
Status: Public domain / Historical
Available from: http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/showcase/boardgames1.html

From the Roman Board Games website:

'This game is the familiar game of "Five in a Row," which was played on the same boards as Latrunculi. This game has been named Calculi, which means "stones" (or "pebbles" or "counters") in Latin. The Romans referred to this game as ludus calculorum, "the game of stones," but the references are general and unclear. Some experts believe the Romans used the term ludus calculorum to refer to any game played with stones including ludus latrunculorum. This view can lead to confusion between the games, and therefore the name Calculi has been coined to distinguish this game from Latrunculi.

'Stones were used for counting before the abacus was introduced, hence the word "calculate." Some historians and archeologists have referred to this game as Roman Draughts or Checkers because of the similarity of the board and pieces. However, few boards were checkered in black and white -- many were just made of lines.'