Ludus Duadecim Scriptorum.
Rules.
The board has three horizontal lines there are twelve spaces
on each line, marked by letters. Each line
is split equally down the middle
forming six rows of six these rows were originally depicted by texts
but was
simplified later with the letters. Each phase of play has certain variations of
the rules they are
as follows.
Phase One.
Each player has a row in the middle opposite each other this
is the player’s home and all pieces must
be scored onto home before play can
begin. To score a piece onto the board you have to throw a
number from one to
six with your three dice these dice are also used for movement in the next
phase
of play.
Phase Two.
During this phase the player needs to move all of their
pieces around the board from B through to E
to do this they use the three dice
from the previous phase these rolls can be used in combination to
make one
large move, as three separate moves or as two moves one larger one smaller.
If a player roles a double or triple, it makes no difference
to his movement. However if a piece is
moved onto a space where there is
already a piece it is stacked and from then moved as one piece.
The capture
mechanic uses this stacking mechanic to decide the outcome if a piece is moved
onto a
space occupied by an enemy stack then the stack with the most pieces
wins and the other players
stack is captured and has to re-enter the board
through the home squares. If this happens then the
player whose pieces have
been captured must enter them onto the board before his journey around the
board can continue. Blocked pieces or inicti
which means “those who cannot move.” This is fine until
the player cannot
move any pieces he is then forced to lose a turn.
Phase Three.
The final phase of play begins when a player scores his
pieces onto the final six squares. Now he must score off the board one piece at
a time the rules state that a piece may be removed from the board only once the
number the piece sits on is thrown. This takes a long time to be achieved and
if a piece is captured in the E final phase area it is returned to the first
space of A and he must move those pieces all the way back round the board to
get to E before he may Begin Phase three again.
Although this is the end of the game is apparent that people
who played the game regularly would agree on a point for one game, the winner
being the player who earns ten points.
History.
Ludus Duodeci Scriptorium originated in the Eclictic Roman
empire more commonly known as the
game of twelve markings. This version of the
game was played on a board in three rows of twelve, however during the first
century it declined in popularity it was at this point that Ludus Duodeci
scriptorium was iterated and Tabula born. Tabula differed from Ludus Duodeci
scriptorium in board size and thus pace. Roman historian Suetonius stated that
the emperor Claudius (10 b.c.e.-54 c.e.) Loved the game so much that he wrote a
book about it in 50 A.D, he was also a well-known supporter of the arts having
also during his reign revived many of the venues around Rome.
Ludus Duodeci Scriptorium or Duodecim Scripta for short was
most importantly documented due to an eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 63 C.E.
partly covered the city in ash extinguishing life and preserving it perfectly,
the eruption and subsequent destruction of the city was completed in 79.C.E.
and would not see the light of day for 1,700 years. This extraordinary
catastrophe would present an opportunity into the lives of the extinct people
of Pompeii. Numbered among these discoveries were two murals found on the wall
of an inn, the first one depicts two men playing a board game the man at the
left is holding up his cup saying “I’m out!” the other points at the dice and
replies “that’s two dice, not three!” he is accusing the first man of cheating.
The second mural is of an inn keep playing porter pushes the two men outside
“If you want to fight, you can do it outside!” this game was sparked by
Duodecim Scripta this shows that the board game was incredible popular among
the roman people of all classes, there are numerous references to it in roman
literature and all the facts indicate that Duodecim Scripta is the precursor to
the Backgammon we know today.
