Announcing the newest arrival from The Classical Workshop!
Salvē, χαῖρε, and hello! Here at The Classical Workshop, we’re always looking for new ways to bring classical learning to kids. That’s why we’re particularly excited to announce a brand-new product just in time for the dog days of summer! This newest product is called LUDI! Classic Card Games for Kids. This is a premium deck of playing cards numbered 1-13, so it’s just perfect for kids’ favorite card games like War, Slap Jack, and Go Fish. We’ve also decided to skip the classic tuck-box and go for a two-piece box made of thick cardboard. There will be no torn packages, and your kids will be able to put their own cards away easily with a box made for their hands. This will be the only deck of Go Fish cards you’ll ever need!
The she-wolf and her two young wards, Romulus and Remus, adorn the cover of LUDI!.
So where does the name LUDI come from? It’s a Latin word that means “games.” The Latin title is appropriate because this time we’ll be leaving the world of Greece (which we explored in all of our launch products like Mythology Match and Minoan Dolphins) and taking an odyssey through the legends of ancient Rome. We’ll meet figures like the star-crossed Aeneas and Dido:
Dido isn’t just a famous singer-she was the first queen of Carthage in Vergil’s Aeneid! She fell in love with Aeneas, whose fate forced him to leave her behind.
Aeneas is the hero of Vergil’s Aeneid and one of the few Trojans to survive the Trojan War. He didn’t really want to leave Dido, but Jupiter, King of the Gods, didn’t give him much choice.
But we’ll also meet historical figures like Julius Caesar and Brutus:
Divus Iulius is Latin for “divine Caesar,” and the phrase appeared on coins following his death and supposed deification.
Was Brutus a treacherous villain who betrayed Caesar, or a hero who tried to save the Republic?
Et tu, Brute?! As always, the first goal of this game is to make sure that learning is effortless and fun. Children learn best when they don’t know it’s happening, and that’s the goal here. The lively, engaging art encourages parents and children to talk about the characters and stories behind the illustrations so children learn naturally through storytelling rather than through memorization or recitation. Learning is as easy as asking, “Do you have any Sacred Chickens?”
The Sacred Chickens see all!
Of course, because this game was designed by scholars of the classics and illustrated by the remarkable Ally Frame, you can be sure that the representations you’re seeing are authentic. The Romans did indeed rely on sacred chickens to predict success in battle! You can read more about one particularly unfortunate Roman commander who didn’t listen to the chickens here: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/august/first-punic-war-audacity-and-hubris.
LUDI! Classic Card Games for kids will be available at the end of July on our website and through Amazon. Please look forward to trying it soon!
Final fact: did you know they’re called the “dog days” of summer because the ancient Greeks and Romans associated the heat of the summer with the annual appearance of the star Sirius in the sky? In antiquity, Sirius was called “the Dog Star.”
