In book five, chapter 33 of the work Шаблон:Lang by Roman historian Suetonius (c. AD 69Шаблон:En dash122), the author discusses many of Roman Emperor Claudius's vices.[1] The final one considered was the leader's love of dice.[2] Suetonius notes, "[Claudius] played dice most avidly, on the art of which he also wrote a book" (Шаблон:Lang).[1]
Mention of this work is only to be found in Suetonius's work. The title Шаблон:Lang seems to be mostly speculative,[3] and based merely on the assertion by Suetonius that the book was "on the art of [dice]".[1] As a result, in textual history, the book became simply known as Шаблон:Lang; for instance, in 1761, the librarian Heinrich Jonathan Clodius, in his reference work Шаблон:Lang (Bibliographic Outline of Recreation) calls it "the Book on the Art of Dice" (Шаблон:Lang) and directly references Suetonius in naming it as such.[4]
While it seems reasonable to conclude that the book concerned dice, exactly what was included in the book is a mystery, as the work has been lost. Austin notes that it is very possible that the work may have dealt with a newer form of the game.[5]
