The Romans enjoyed playing sports for recreation especially ball games. They enjoyed playing on palaestra, or fields, and on the sphaerista, or ball courts. The Romans played games very similar to those of today. Some included handball, trigon, soccer, field hockey, harpasta, phaininda, episkyros, and catch as well as dodge ball. Roman frescos depict Romans using medicine balls for exercise as well as lifting dumbells. Other frescos show women playing trigon by volleying a ball back and forth between the two. The Romans also enjoyed soccer as shown by paintings showing boys kicking balls in the street and kicking a ball into a goal of sorts. A vase shows Roman children playing a modified game of cricket by throwing a ball at a wicket without using a bat. The Roman game of harpastum is derived from the Greek game of phaininda, where one person would throw a ball at a line of people who would bat it back.
Romans Playing Ball
This fresco shows several young men playing at ball. It is from an underground tomb in Rome, 1st century AD. The one wearing just the tunic may be throwing the ball but it is difficult to judge for sure. They are barefoot like athletes, but which ball game this picture actually represents is not certain, except that it does not appear to be Trigon.
This Greek relief shows athletes playing Phaininda, the Greek precursor to Roman Harpastum. The athlete at the far left is hurling a ball, and in the full size image it would appear the players are lined up and prepared to catch or bat the ball back. This marble relief is from the National Museum in Athens.
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