When one speaks of the Romans, emperors and generals, impressive monuments and poetic masterpieces come to mind, but one rarely thinks everyday life in ancient Rome. Daily routine was not only determined by war and serious matters, but also by play. We have numerous sources on Roman games, including images, passages from ancient authors and archaeological finds. We know less about the rules of the games, however, which is why some aspects of Roman gaming culture remain speculation.

Numerous sources tell us that the Romans liked to pass the time with games of skill and tactics that were similar to our checkers, chess or mill. Poor people played on boards carved into the floor or steps of public buildings, which we can still see today. Richer people had elaborate game boards (tabulae lusoriae) made of precious materials. Several variants of the mill game have come down to us, including the so-called round mill as shown in the replica in the showcase.

As in almost all cultures gambling was popular with the Romans. Despite numerous attempts to restrict or prohibit gambling, the Romans were not deterred from this pastime. Literary texts tell us about cardsharps, as do marked dice. In Pompeii, some dice were found that contained a lead weight influencing their fall. The Romans were also familiar with another way of cheating: The dice were skilfully rolled across the palm of the hand so that they showed the desired number.

To counteract these illicit methods, dice cups (fritilli) in the shape of drinking glasses were introduced, as well as so-called turriculae: small tower-like constructions in which the dice thrown in are deflected by several bars before coming out at the bottom. Such dice towers were made of various materials and sometimes came with elaborate decorations.