لعبة الأستراجالی (عظام رسغ الحیوان) فی الفنین الیونانی والرومانی

Abstract

This Game was known in the Greek language as αστράγαλοι and Tali in Latin. It was called Knucklebones in the Hellenistic era. It was playing by children and women. It used five ankle bones of a sheep, goat, or pig, which are found in the front legs of the animal. The Greeks used it to predict the future, and they considered it as protective elements or amulets. It was also known in Paranoiac Egypt. The rules of the game stipulated that each player throws knuckle bone in the air and then retrieves it with the bones placed on the ground, in addition to another way to play it, which was to try to hold the ankle bones with the back of the hand. Also, it was called pentalitha or five grains, which is still played in Turkey until now. It

لعبة األسرتاجايل )عظام رسغ احليوان( يف الفنني اليوناني والروماني was later made of wood, glass, bronze, and ivory. It is worth noting that these bones may bear inscriptions of the names of gods or heroes, and perhaps the reason for this was the hope of blessing the gods for them while playing, or that they were offered as offerings to these gods or for the worship of a particular god. There is an example of one of the knucklebones with an inscription bearing the name of goddess and heroes.