"The only classical Roman game of pure skill, the ludus latrunculorum (latronum or calculorum) took its names from the latrunculi (latrones or calculi) with which it was played. It was natural in naming a new game to follow the analogy of the older games. Ludus scacorum, the game of the chessmen, or more briefly scaci, the chessmen, became in this way the Latin name for chess" (Murray, p. 399). Illustrated.