Games involving dice were popular in Ancient Rome and included games where dice were used along with a board and pieces that required moving with the luck of the roll. Whilst gambling and gaming were only legal pastimes during the festival of Saturnalia in December, plenty of Romans partook in the activity during the year. From travelling soldiers at local taverns, to the wealthy elite and ruling class, the Romans were avid fans of playing dice games.
In addition, some cities in Roman Pisidia (southern central Turkey) had dice oracles, set up on stelae in the main square or forum, where citizens by the throw of the dice could gain advice from the gods about their public or private affairs.
To discover more about gaming during the Roman period, please visit our relevant blog post: Roman Pastimes.
