2. Follis
Referred to as the balloon game, follis was played with a leather ball. The name follis itself is a Latin word meaning leather bag. This game seems to be most similar to volleyball. Players would hit a somewhat heavy leather ball with their fist or forearm to keep the ball off the ground. However, this game may have not been well respected in Rome, with the poet Martial
claiming that
the game was
only for boys
and old men.
3. Trigon
Of the three games described in this article, Trigon is the most well known. Trigon comes from the Greek word trigonos, meaning triangular. The ball used for this game was similar to a baseball. Trigon can best be described as a juggling game. Players would catch a ball with their right hand and throw it with their left hand. It was typically played with more than one ball, which contributed immensely to the difficulty of the game. Players of the game were known as trigonali, while people who helped to pick up the loose balls were known as pilecripi.
Follis, plural follēs - shown here in a woodcut.
wut
Guys. GUYS.
wA
Te
rM
eL
On