d20, Circa 2nd Century A.D.

[Ysgarran]

quote:
A ROMAN GLASS GAMING DIE
Circa 2nd Century A.D.
Deep blue-green in color, the large twenty-sided die incised with a distinct symbol on each of its faces
2 1/16 in. (5.2 cm.) wide

Several polyhedra in various materials with similar symbols are known from the Roman period. Modern scholarship has not yet established the game for which these dice were used.


http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4205385

 

[xechnao]

Amazing. I wonder if romans had developed probability theory and statistics.

 

[Imperialus]

Sweet! I cast Magic Missile on the Gaul!

 

[Celebrim]

Wow!

*attempts to suppress dice envy*

Just 'wow'. And look at the size of it. Hows that for a centerpeice to your dice collection?

If I was seriously rich, such that I was amassing a collection of art to bequeth to some worthy institution upon my death, that would definately be one of the things I'd have to have.

My guess though is that it isn't gaming paraphenalia, but some sort of divination device. It's an ancient 'Magic 8-ball'.

If it had been a gaming device, it likely would have survived the dark ages in some form and we'd have a record of - if not the original game - then at least games from later periods played with similar devices. But if it was a divination technique, it simply would have died off as Christianity purged itself of all alien superstitions.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Okay, so who of us will build a time machine to place this die in the past?

What did the Romans play with it? "Caverns & Dinosaurs"?

 

[Celebrim]

Okay, so who of us will build a time machine to place this die in the past?

What did the Romans play with it? "Caverns & Dinosaurs"?

Not at all. We typically play medieval inspired games, that is to say games set in an era about 600-1200 years back, when fantastic creatures were assumed to be more common, magic had not faded away, and individual warriors by virtue of the technology level of the time could be a match for dozens of thier foes.

It's 2nd century AD die.

The Romans would have looked back at the age of Greek myths in much the same manner we look back on the medieval period. They would have looked to mythic hero tales like Jason and the Argonauts as inspiration for the adventuring band.

They could have in most ways played a game remarkably like D&D.

I just don't think that they did.

 

[Korgoth]

Looks about as pitted and pockmarked as my TSR plastic D20 from the Moldvay box.

Carcer Magister (CM): "Flavius, the griffin dives toward your horse, Bucephalus. And I wish you'd name your horse something else."

Flavius: "I always name my horse Bucephalus. It's my 'res'."

CM: "I've got your 'res' right here. And the griffin is about to destroy your stupid horse. What do you do?"

Flavius: "I spear it!"

CM: "Well, roll to hit."

Flavius: "Theta! I got him!"

 

[Fifth Element]

Carcer Magister (CM): "Flavius, the griffin dives toward your horse, Bucephalus. And I wish you'd name your horse something else."

Flavius: "I always name my horse Bucephalus. It's my 'res'."

CM: "I've got your 'res' right here. And the griffin is about to destroy your stupid horse. What do you do?"

Flavius: "I spear it!"

CM: "Well, roll to hit."

Flavius: "Theta! I got him!"

Awesome. And the die, too.

 

[Ruslanchik]

How cool is that? Next time you look at your d20, remember "I am the recipient of an ancient tradition" and kill those freakin' goblins!

 

[Nikosandros]

I remember a few years ago when the auction was in progress, someone linked it here on ENWorld.