From a variety of sources, we know of hundreds of sports and games in the ancient world, some of which one can be traced from the beginning of writing in about 3,000 BC to the time of the Middle Ages. Many of these pursuits played a prominent role in their respective societies and transcended mere sport to become associated, for example, with religion, entertainment, the military, and social customs. Several sports listed below have parallels in the modern world even though in some cases there may be no direct ancestry. I have extended the discussion to include (in one instance)…