Five Lines

No complete description of the game exists, but there have been several scholarly reconstructions, including Schädler's and Kidd's.

[3][4] Gameboards, consisting of five parallel lines with circles at the ends, have been found at many sites in ancient Greece, sometimes carved right into the floors of temples.

[3] The earliest known examples were found in Anagyros, Attica, and date to the 7th century BCE.

Attic vases dated to around 500 BCE show Ajax and Achilles playing the game, with over 160 extant.

Proverbial references to moving a piece from the sacred line occur regularly in Ancient Greek texts.

Achilles and Ajax playing a game, often identified as Five Lines; a common theme in Ancient Greek art.