Duodecim Scriptorum

Duodecim scriptorum seems to have been a very popular board game throughout the Roman Empire. The name means “twelve markings,” which refer to the three rows of twelve markings each. It is known that the game had two players and that each of the players had fifteen pieces and used three dice. Little else is known about how this game was played, unless it is simply a different version of another game called the Twelve Philosophers.

Twelve philosophers boards have also been found throughout the Roman Empire from Britain to Africa and the Near East. Whereas duodecim scriptorium boards had three rows of twelve squares or circles divided in the middle into six, twelve philosopher boards had two rows of pairs of six letter words that spelled out clever, thought provoking, or inspirational sentences. These were often about gambling or military matters, so the game was probably a popular pastime with soldiers. Below you will see a few examples of the inscriptions on these game boards.

One indication that this game was identical to duodecim scriptorum comes from a board found in the ruins of the ancient Roman port city of Ostia. Rather than words, that particular board was marked with letters. This arrangement of letters seems to have indicated the direction pieces entered and moved around the board. It is possible this board was used to teach beginners who were just learning the game.