The Roman Chess Set: An Honest Collector's Guide
Let's begin with the honest answer, because it is the reason this guide exists: the ancient Romans never played chess. The game reached Europe in the Middle Ages, centuries after the empire fell. A "Roman chess set" is something else — Rome's history arranged on sixty-four squares — and taken for what it is, it makes a fine object. This guide covers the two themed sets in our catalogue and the real Roman game that came before them, both on display at Via Cavour 280 in Rome, 50 metres from the Colosseum.
No, the Romans did not play chess — and it matters
Chess was born in India, most likely around the sixth century AD, as a game called chaturanga. Persia adopted it as shatranj, the Islamic world carried it west, and it entered Europe through the Mediterranean in the early Middle Ages — by which time the Western Roman Empire had been gone for centuries. No legionary ever castled, and the chess queen as we know her is an even later European invention.
Why does a souvenir shop open with that? Because a seller who lets you believe a "Roman chessboard" is a historical object will let you believe anything. Our sets are modern themed collectibles — chess, the medieval game, dressed in Roman history — and we would rather tell you exactly that and let the craft speak for itself.
What the Romans actually played
Rome had its own war game: ludus latrunculorum, the "game of little soldiers", a battle of capture and blockade played on a gridded board. Roman writers mention it — Ovid among them — and gaming boards and counters have turned up across the former empire, from barracks to taverns. Romans also raced counters in tabula-style games ancestral to backgammon, and threw dice often, and for money, despite the laws against it.
So the instinct behind a Roman-themed chess set is genuinely ancient: soldiers on a board, strategy as entertainment. The board changed; the pleasure did not. That is why our hand-painted set below carries the name Ludus Latrunculorum on its product page.
The two chess sets in our catalogue
Our Chess, Swords & Collectibles collection currently holds two boards. The Romans vs Egyptians Chess Set (€280) sets the discipline of the legions against the mysticism of Egypt: every piece hand-painted, on a wooden board built to be played on as well as looked at. The pairing is not fantasy — Rome and Egypt truly met, through Caesar and Cleopatra and then at Actium in 31 BC, after which Egypt became a Roman province.
The Arabs vs Gladiators Chess Set is the collector's piece: handmade in Florence by a workshop active since 1976, with a certified leather board. It is not currently orderable online — availability rotates, so check the product page or ask us what is on the shelf this week.
How to judge a collector's chess set
Three questions separate a collector's set from a boxed souvenir. First: are the materials named? Hand-painted pieces and a wooden or leather board should be stated in writing on the label and the product page — anonymous "decorated" plastic is the alternative. Second: would you actually play on it? A set that only poses is half an object; a good one survives a Sunday afternoon of real games. Third: is it honest about what it is? A themed chess set is a modern homage to Rome, and any seller calling it more than that has told you everything about the rest of their shelves.
Pieces that share the shelf
The same collection holds the blades that pair naturally with a board of legionaries. The Roman Gladius with Scabbard (€180) is the complete presentation of the legionary's sword: polished steel blade, wooden grip, brass-fitted scabbard. The Gladius Chi-Rho — Constantine (€35) carries the monogram Constantine put on his standards before the Milvian Bridge, and the SPQR Pugio with eagle pommel (€65) adds the sidearm every legionary carried. If the player in your life is really a history lover, the Julius Caesar Bust (€109) — hand-finished bronze-effect resin, made in Italy, and our best seller — watches over a game better than any clock.
See the boards in person
A hand-painted piece is judged in the hand: the weight, the brushwork, the grain of the board. Both sets can be seen at Via Cavour 280 in Rome, 50 metres from the Colosseum and two minutes from the Colosseo metro stop (line B), open every day from 10:00 to 20:00 — after the monument closes, too. Ordering from the site takes 5% off the Etsy list price and orders leave in 1–2 working days: shipping is free within Italy, €20 to the EU and €50 worldwide, pickup in store is free, and you have 14 days to return a catalogue piece that does not earn its place on the table.
Common questions
Is a Roman chess set a historical object?
No. Chess reached Europe in the Middle Ages, long after the Western Roman Empire fell, so no ancient Roman ever played it — their board game was ludus latrunculorum. Our sets are modern themed collectibles, sold as exactly that.
Can the Romans vs Egyptians set actually be played?
Yes. It is a complete chess set with hand-painted pieces on a wooden board, made to be played on as well as displayed. It is listed at €280 before the 5% discount the site applies to direct orders.
Is the Arabs vs Gladiators set available right now?
Availability rotates. The set is handmade in Florence with a certified leather board and is not currently orderable online — check the product page, or ask us what is in the shop this week.
How do shipping and returns work?
Orders dispatch in 1–2 working days: shipping is free within Italy, €20 to the EU and €50 worldwide, and pickup at Via Cavour 280 is free. Catalogue pieces can be returned within 14 days.
Every piece in this guide lives in the boutique at Via Cavour 280, 50 m from the Colosseum — visit us, or order online.
Open every day 10:00–20:00
Collector at heart? Join our Collectors' Club — a few emails a year, written by the two of us.