Ludus Latrunculorum - An Ancient Roman Board Game - History, Rules & Play

The Ancient Romans loved their games, or "Ludi", including table games, dice, sports, and other competitions. Even limiting the scope to board games, there were many types played across the Empire. Ludus Latrunculorum, the "Game of Brigands" is perhaps the best-known of these games, a game of spatial strategy appreciated by military minds. In this video, I discuss the rules for and demonstrate play of one popular variant, Kowalski's Reconstruction.

Shortcuts:
Introduction - 00:00
Setup - 05:35
Rules - 06:43
Petteia / Pessoi - 14:35
Sample Game - 15:30
End Comments - 34:30

Kowalski's Reconstructed Rules:
https://web.archive.org/web/200609150...

Other Rulesets for Ludus Latrunculorum:
http://www.stormthecastle.com/how-to-...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludus_l...

More about Petteia (Pessoi):
https://www.chessvariants.com/rules/p...

Ludii General Game Engine:
https://ludii.games/library.php

Homo Ludens, by Johann Huizenga:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_Lu...
https://www.amazon.com/Homo-Ludens-St...

My original games and oracle cards: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/design...