Glass roman dices?

[Iagoba]

I´ve found some to buy, (blue), but some questions have appeared in my head...

-It´s appropiate for a late Roman soldier (even a posh one)?
- (well, if anyone looks in google, , )

-where the pips -or dots- in the six-faced ones placed in the same way as today?

I would like so beacause crystal would be:

1) Posh
2) transparent, so it won´t be loaded...

I found some curious shapes here and in a certain -long established- auction house even sells a 20 sided one hock: , buuut... :?

Thanks for the help, and if someone knows more about "Roman" D20´s I would be grateful...

Thanks, my gamblin´soldiers

[Salvianus]

Interesting. My understanding was that most were marked as they are today, opposite faces totalling seven, but that there were plenty of exceptions - I'll see what I've got.

Re the d20: Google say http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_ ... ID=4205385

[Salvianus]

I don't seem to have much in the way of references.

I was surprised to see some marked with numerals rather than ring-and-not and 'crystal' dice which are still transparent on your link:

http://www.ourpasthistory.com/tag/roman-dice/

Some other examples (bottom) with alternative numbering (and some clearly unequal face sizes!):
http://www.ancienttouch.com/gaming%20co ... 20dice.htm

hope that helps.

[Triarius]

When did cubes replace knuckle bones?

[fwg]

When did cubes replace knuckle bones?

The cubes and bones were used for different dice-games. While children are often depicted playing with astragaloi (knuckle-bones), 'conventional' dices are often associated with gambling (of adults).

And there are some Roman glass dices (I have to check in my picture archive, but I think at least in the Landesmuseum Stuttgart, germany), as well as there are ones made of lead crystal.

All the best,
fwg.