Strategy board games designed by the greatest minds of ancient Greece for educating Alexander the Great and Achilles
In the world of Classical Greece, War and Rhetoric (in the sense of political confrontation) were considered the ideal fields to practice virtue and sharp your mind.
No matter if you were the offspring of a eupatrid (member of the nobility of ancient Athens, or the child of a farmer, the Greeks had the opportunity to stand out for their ability to win “battles” and lead. In this endeavor, strategic thinking was the most valuable asset.
This is why ancient Greeks designed a series of highly educational board games, through which the youngsters sharpened their minds and developed critical thinking.
It is no coincidence that Lysimachus, tutor of Alexander the Great, devised a game for the latter to practice. He was encouraged to play the role of Achilles, and the latter gradually became an archetypal figure (that of the “noble warrior”) in the youthful mind of Alexander the Great.
< Achilles and Ajax practice on “Petteia” during the Trojan War (amphora painted by Exekias, c. 550-540 BCE, exhibited in the Vatican Museum).
Ancient Board Games based on Historical Research
From the Trias of Ostia Antica (harbor of ancient Rome) to the Petteia of Achilles, these are unique board games handmade using a combination of natural and modern materials thoughtfully chosen to find the optimum balance between durability and historical accuracy.
Our ultimate goal is to share with the world premium reproductions of these ancient strategy games, using state-of-the-art technologies. We have used laser engraving machines during our rapid-prototyping phase, and scanning/vector design software for our R&D phase. As for the final products, techniques known in antiquity were used, such as pyrography and wood grinding.
Furthermore, we chose to use materials available during antiquity such as cherry and linden wood for the pieces, paper for game rules, canvas for the boards, handknitted linen for the pouches, et cetera. Minor modifications were mindfully made to ensure greater durability and practicality, such as the use of synthetic leather and coating to offer non-slippery and waterproofing qualities to our board games.
Research team: Led by Nikolaos Koumartzis, Ph.D. (as lead product designer), and the participation of Theodore Koumartzis, MSc (SEIKILO Museum Curator), and two historians (Ismini Kakali, Ba, and Valadis Nagkoloudis, Ba).
^ Achilles and Ajax practice on “Petteia” during the Trojan War (amphora painted by Exekias, c. 550-540 BCE, exhibited in the Vatican Museum).
Ancient World Strategy Board Games
Petteia | Enneadi | Spherical Trias | Trias
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