Merels - an Ancient Roman Game, Now Adapted

Merels is was a very common game in ancient Rome. It is more commonly known today as nine men's morris.

A piece of cardboard/paper (in square shape)

A marker

9 two different colors of marbles/tokens

Two willing players

Take your square cardboard/paper and marker

If you are using cardboard put a white paper on top of it (same size) and tape/glue it on.

Then draw three squares: one big, one inside that, and one inside that

Connect the sidelines (img 2)

Draw dots (img 1)

You have your board set up!

Flip a coin to see who goes first.

Each player will place their tokens in unoccupied intersections, one at a time. Three similar pieces in a row/column/diagonal will make a 'mill' (see the image for example)

If you make a mill, you can remove one of your opponent's pieces from the game. Removed pieces cannot be played again.

Once all pieces have been played, players take turns moving pieces onto unoccupied dots and forming mills. Mills can be formed more than once.

Keep playing until a player is down to 2 pieces, whoever has more than two wins!

I hope you enjoy playing this game.

I found that by having a timer set, the game becomes more fun and less boring (no more taking your time thinking!)

I usually play with a ten or five-minute timer, you could even use a chess timer if you wish and have time added every turn you finish (e.g. 10 minutes + five)

Whoever's time runs out first loses. (or if you are down to two pieces)

To bad that the Romans didn't have clocks (ok, maybe large sundials), but at least we do.

Merels is fun, but my way is better, please enjoy.