Games of the Ancient and Medieval Warrior

What did warriors do when the fighting stopped?Behind every battlefield were long hours of marching, waiting, guarding, eating, drinking-and playing.Ancient and Medieval Warriors explores the surprisingly rich world of games, recreation, competition, and leisure among soldiers and fighting men from the earliest civilizations to the end of the Middle Ages.From Egyptian senet boards and the Royal Game of Ur to Greek wrestling contests, Roman dice games, Viking hnefatafl, medieval chess, archery competitions, and the dangerous spectacle of the tournament, this book reveals another side of military history: the warrior at rest.Discover how Roman legionaries scratched gaming boards into stone, why dice became one of the soldier's most portable possessions, how Viking warriors tested themselves through wrestling, swimming, boasting, and board games, and how chess gradually entered the castles and military households of medieval Europe. Follow the evolution of tournaments from violent mounted mêlées into elaborate jousts, and learn why archery could serve simultaneously as recreation, competition, and preparation for war.Drawing on archaeology, ancient literature, medieval manuscripts, museum collections, and surviving gaming pieces, Adam Langweiler separates historical evidence from modern assumptions. Rather than treating every warrior game as military training, the book examines why soldiers played for many of the same reasons people still do today-for rivalry, reputation, companionship, money, amusement, and the simple desire to win.Inside you will discover: - Games played by Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Vikings, and medieval soldiers - The Royal Game of Ur, senet, latrunculi, tafl, hnefatafl, chess, tables, and Nine Men's Morris - Roman gambling and recreation along the…