Nos fritillum dicimus. Nuovi dati sulla cultura materiale ludica di Pompei

This paper deals with a particular kind of ludic objects, the so-called fritilli (or dice-shakers). Usually, peculiar types of small pot of pyriform or cylindrical shape are considered fritilli in Pompeii, but the question can be faced in a different way. The work carried out in the storageroom of Pompeii has permitted to identify several gaming sets in which the presence of fritilli can be attested. The data here presented can offer new insights to the question, shifting from a morphological approach to a contextual one, as suggested by the last perspectives of research. This paper underlines, once again, the complexity of the Pompeian material culture and allow us to throw new lights on the ludic habits of the ancient inhabitants.