Ancient Roman, Empire Bone dice - Ancient Roman legionary bone gaming dice - 10 mm (No reserve price)

The second century AD was a flourishing period for the Romans in the Netherlands. The limes, the Roman frontier that ran along the major rivers, was secured to a certain extent and only needed to be guarded. To guard a frontier that stretched through the entire Netherlands from Germany to the North Sea, you needed many soldiers. A river is a natural border, which is both difficult to cross and easier to defend. Many Dutch cities, such as Utrecht, Nijmegen, and Leiden, trace their origins to the Roman limes. Along this border, many forts (castella) and military camps (castra) were erected.
These settlements primarily served to protect the borders, but they also provided space for trade. Trade took place between the various limes settlements, usually via the river. The Romans also conducted trade with the indigenous tribes on the other side of the border. The Romans did not live in a constant state of war with their 'barbarian' neighbors, and peaceful contact was certainly possible. With many impressive watchtowers, the limes functioned more as a boundary and hopefully a deterrent, than an impenetrable barrier.
In the second century AD, the southern part of the Netherlands (the province Germania Inferior) was quite calm. The soldiers in the military camps, forts, and watchtowers must have sometimes been terribly bored. The Roman commanders kept the soldiers busy with cooking, cleaning, and calisthenics. Of course, you eventually get fed up with that. One of the things Roman soldiers were clever at was finding distractions. They were known for their great love of dice, gambling, and other games of chance. They often challenged each other to stake money or other possessions. That certainly makes a game exciting!
In several places where Roman settlements once stood, remnants of games have been found. Many of these games are still familiar to us today. A good example are these dice, on display at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden. The dice found did not look much different from our dice. There are even examples of dice that were weighted on one side so that the chance of landing on six was very high! Fortuna—the goddess of luck, chance, and fate—would hardly have been pleased.
Size: 10 x 10 x 10 mm
Weight: 1.65 grams
Material: bone / ossein
Condition: excellent, a very fine die that is even more beautiful in person.

Shipping method: this lot will be securely packed and shipped via DHL or UPS through Catawiki’s smart shipping.