Divine and mortal gamblers: good times in the Roman world

Divine and mortal gamblers: good times in the Roman world

Modern studies of gaming and gambling in Roman world concentrate primarily on elite male players, but the written and iconographic records provide ample evidence for female gamers from all walks of life. This contribution collates textual and iconographic evidence until now largely overlooked for the information it can provide about women and gameplaying in Ancient Rome. It explores the relationship between gaming and the feminine, from goddesses to grandmothers, and sheds light on the social implications of gaming and gambling for non-male players. Female gameplaying was widespread and could take a range of different forms, performed in different contexts. By analysing these texts alongside each other for the first time, we can arrive at a more developed understanding of female gameplaying in Rome and move beyond existing paradigms, which are overly reliant on a few of the most famous textual passages.

Keywords

• The Venus throw
• Dice
• Women
• Gambling
• Board games
• Ancient Rome
• Leisure