Cupido ludens: Eros playing with astragals in Apollonius Rhodius 3. 112–155

Ancient classical culture usually links gambling (plays with knucklebones, dice, pawns) with divination and love's matters. It is noteworthy, to examine playing by knucklebones (Greek astragaloi). The connection between astragals, games and the erotic sphere clearly appears in Eros-Ganymede episode in the 3rd Book of Apollonius' Argonautica. A fragment of Callimachus also deals with knucklebones. Many Greek lyric and epigrammatic poets echo this topic. In sum, Apollonius allows us to discover a usual imagery: Eros as a player with knucklebones shows that Love masters the human life. It is thus an evident symbol of fate.