Roman Football?

[hoplite14gr]

Carlton you explanation of (Harpaston) stands valid.
The game has also another variation.
It is called (TA MILA=the apples). A group stand in line in the center and two people throw tha ball at them from opposing sides. The line in center has to doge the ball. Any one being hit goes out. If someone catches the ball can bring him back in. The object is to eliminate the line in a given time frame.
It still survives as achildrens game in Greece.
Marble plaques survivng in Olympia depict a type of handball and a game that looks like hokey on on grass!!!!
If these games were not indroduced by the Greek colonists in Italy then they might became known to Rome after 146 B.C.
For some reason hockey might have been popular with the Celts!
Kind regards
Stefanos