PAR IMPAR LUDERE
PAR IMPAR LUDERE (
ἀρτιασμός,
ἀρτιάζειν,
ἄρτια ἢ
περιττὰ or
ζυγὰ ἢ ἄζυγα or
ζυγὰ μόνα παίζειν,
ποσίνδα). The game at odd and even was a favourite game among
the Greeks and Romans. A person held in his hands a number of astragali, or
other things (Pollux, 9.101, says beans, nuts, almonds, or coins), and his
opponent had to guess whether the number was odd or even. The amount to be
won or lost, whether merely the articles played with or money staked upon
the guess, may have been variously arranged: but probably the usual practice
was only to stake what was played with, not to bet on the guess besides.
Apollonius (
3.115) represents Cupid and
Ganymede playing, and the winnings are simply the astragali of the opponent:
hence the playing with coins is a greater risk (
Aristoph. Pl. 816): the passage in
Suet.
Aug. 71, however, implies staking a sum of money on the guess at
odd and even as well as on the tali. The game
ποσίνδα differed slightly, as it was necessary to guess the
number held in the hand, not merely whether it was odd or even (
Xen. Eq. Mag. 5, 10; cf.
Aristoph. Pl. 1055). For further mention
of
par impar, see Plat.
Lys. p. 206
E; Lucian,
Dial. 4; Hor.
Sat.
2.3, 248;
Nux, 79;--Becker-Göll,
Charikles, 2.40;
Gallus,
3.477;--Marquardt,
Privatleben, p. 849.
[
W.S] [
G.E.M]
