| Ask most people about leisure activity in the | | | | |
| Ancient World and they will probably mention | | | | The spread of the backgammon game around the |
| the sport of hunting, Greek athletics, or the | | | | world continued after the collapse of the |
| cruel contests staged between Roman | | | | Roman Empire, however it was not until the |
| gladiators and wild animals. It will | | | | 1740's that the backgammon rules were first |
| therefore come as a surprise to many that one | | | | published. The introduction of commercially |
| of today's most popular games - backgammon - | | | | produced backgammon sets at a price that most |
| actually has a history going back some five | | | | people could easily afford, also played a |
| thousand years. Nobody knows for such who was | | | | role in making the game available to people |
| the first person to invent the backgammon | | | | all around the world. |
| game but scholars believe it was devised or | | | | |
| developed in the area today occupied by Iran | | | | The developments in the first five thousand |
| and Iraq. | | | | years of backgammon gave no inkling of that |
| | | | at the end of the twentieth century, |
| Since written descriptions of how to play | | | | backgammon stood on the verge of a major |
| backgammon had not yet been discovered, it is | | | | revolution. The introduction of online |
| hard to know for sure that the backgammon | | | | backgammon has initiated a major explosion in |
| rules of ancient Persia were similar to the | | | | interest in the game, and brought it to a |
| ones we are familiar with today. The fact | | | | whole new, predominantly young audience. The |
| that the design of the backgammon board with | | | | ability to download Internet backgammon as |
| the twenty four narrow divisions known as | | | | free backgammon has meant there is no longer |
| points, and the fifteen round counters, and | | | | any need to even buy a backgammon set but you |
| the dice whose throws determine the counter | | | | can have a high quality 3-D backgammon game |
| movements, were all part of the ancient game, | | | | setup on your own computer. Although the |
| does suggest it had a great deal in common | | | | long-lasting appeal of backgammon gambling |
| with the contemporary version. | | | | has given a major push to the popularity of |
| | | | the backgammon online games, the chance to |
| Backgammon was popularized further by the | | | | play against a sophisticated backgammon |
| Romans and became a favorite game of the | | | | computer and play against players from all |
| Emperor Claudius, and the fate of the | | | | around the world, are also key attractions. |
| opponent foolish enough to let Claudius lose | | | | In addition the online game allows players to |
| can only be imagined. The Roman version of | | | | play at a time that suits them, and from the |
| backgammon, known as tabula (from the Latin | | | | comfort of their own home. All the |
| for table) was played exclusively for money, | | | | information required to learn the rules of |
| what we would today term backgammon gambling. | | | | the game and understand backgammon strategy |
| The thought of going to play backgammon for | | | | is now available online - players have never |
| the fun alone does not seem to have been part | | | | had it easier. |
| of that cultural milieu. | | | | |