The game of Backgammon relates back to the Mesopotamian Empire and Persian Empire (present Iraq, Iran, and Syria). It is known to be one of the oldest games to be recorded. It was one of the first board games to be created.
This game was originally played on wooden surfaces. Stone markers were used. The dies were made of bones, wood or stone. It was popular among the people of Egypt, Greece and Rome. This game was popular among the elite classes of the ancient society.
But no one knew of such a game until artifacts were found. The remains were found in the tomb of Chaldees. A few dies and boards were excavated along with his tomb. The rules of the game were also found written on a tablet.

There was such evidence in Rome too. The ancient Romans used to play a game called, “Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum”, also known as the “game of twelve lines”. It consisted of leather boards and a set of markers made of ivory or ebony. This game later spread to Britain.

This game spread to that area because of Roman conquest. There, it was referred to as “tabula”. But the game never really survived. It was modified so much that a new kind of game evolved. This was played regularly by the Emperor Claudius. Later he wrote about the game, but the records didn’t seem to survive and were never found. His carriage always had a tabula board and dice so he could entertain himself during travel. This was the game that started the whole mania of gambling. This spread to Rome and was soon declared an illegal practice. There was also a fine imposed on those who gambled. It was four times what the gamblers earned in a game.

Later this moved on to becoming an art that only a few had mastered. The game rules were modified and it soon came to be called “backgammon”. This game spread like wild fire through out the world. Later, ethical rules came to be related to this game and it was played by quite a lot of people.

This game is Backgammon is now played in different parts of the world. And at each place there are a few variations, which one who is not too accustomed to the game would have to learn. The western version is very unique and is considered to be more challenging for players. The eastern version is similar to the game as when it was first started. This game used to be very popular among royalty in the olden days. It was considered an elite game, played only by the most respectable community. But who would have known that this game would go on to becoming so popular! It has now moved on to attract almost any one and everyone! This game is very easy to grasp and like any game of gamble, extremely addictive. It is an entertainer and is definitely worth taking a shot at.