RegionNorthern Africa, Western Asia, Southern Europe
CategoryReconstruction, Pending, Board, War
Description
Polis is a board game mentioned in ancient Greek literary sources. Little is known about it, but the sources indicate that the spaces were called poleis, "cities," and a piece was called κύων (kyon), "dog". Captures were involved, and it has been speculated that the game is similar to Ludus Latrunculorum.
Rules
9x9, 11x11, or 8x10 board. Two players. Pieces are captured by surrounding them on either side.
31 pieces of evidence in total. Browse all evidence for Polis here.
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Sources
Cratinus. Fragment 61 KA.
Fachard, S. 2021. Games in the Garrison Forts of Attica. Paper presented at the Workshop ERC Locus Ludi: The Archaeology of Play and Games. 21 January, 2021.
Ignatiadou, D, 2019. 'Luxury board games for the northern greek elite'. Archimède, Games and play in antiquity 6: 144-159.
Kurke, L. 1999. "Ancient Greek Board Games and How to Play Them." Classical Philology 94: 247-267.
Pollux. Onomasticon.
Schädler, U. 2013. Les jeux de pions. Archéothéma 31: 64-65
Stern, I. 2019. Excavations at Maresha Subterranean Complex 169: Final Report Season 2000-2016: 127-128
