Tabula (game)

According to the Etymologiae by Isidore of Seville, tabula was first invented by a Greek soldier of the Trojan War named Alea.

[3][4] The earliest description of "τάβλι" (tavli) is in an epigram of Byzantine emperor Zeno (r. 474–475; 476–491), given by Agathias of Myrine (6th century AD), who describes a game in which Zeno goes from a strong position to a very weak one after an unfortunate dice roll.

[2] The rules of Tabula were reconstructed in the 19th century by Becq de Fouquières based upon this epigram.

[2] If a piece was moved to a point occupied by an enemy singleton, the latter was sent off the board and had to be re-entered on the next turn.

The known differences compared with modern backgammon were: three dice were used, all pieces started off the board, both players moved in the same direction and there was no doubling die.

Medieval illustration of tabula players from the 13th century Carmina Burana .
A game of τάβλι (tabula) played by Byzantine emperor Zeno in 480 AD and recorded by Agathias in c. 530 AD because of a very unlucky dice throw for Zeno (red), as he threw 2, 5 and 6 and was forced to leave eight pieces alone and thus prone to capture. See "Zeno's Game of τάβλι" by Roland G. Austin. [ 2 ]