Backgammon Has Roots in Literal Board Game

There is some dispute as to the exact, precise lineage of the Game of Kings, but there is little doubt that the Roman game of Tabula was influential in some way to the development of Backgammon. Tabula literally meant "Table" or "Board" and was given that name because a special board was used to play the game. Dice and checkers were used, and the game was very popular as a form of gambling among Roman senators and emperors.

The Tabula board had twelve lines and was a popular pursuit with Roman soldiers - thus as Rome expanded into the Mideast in the first century, Tabula reached Arabia. The progeny of Tabula are many among European games, such as Fayles and Taefle in England, Tourney-Case in France, Ad Elta Stelpur in Iceland, and even the Arabian game of Nard.

The Emperor Zeno, from around 480 AD, was a huge Tabula fan, and a record of a single game played by Zeno has survived the fall of Rome, bringing with it the base of current day understanding of Tabula rules. During the course of the game Zeno had to make a particular move that was so disastrous for his position that the game was considered remarkable, and thus was recorded for posterity.

While Backgammon is called the Game of Kings, it owes at least a little to Tabula, the Game of Roman Emperors.