# Roman dodecahedron - what do you think it was for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945 "2011-06-18T17:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/101 "2011-09-02T01:09:34Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Or, I wonder if its some kind of platonic bong? What does it mean, “platonic bong”? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/102 "2011-09-02T01:50:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What does it mean, “platonic bong”? weed + [platonic solid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid) + water + lotsa pipes = 12 super stoned romans. Kinda has a ring to it, yeh? _Platonic bong._ _The Chronic Platonic Bong™._ I’m gonna make hundreds of these, and make a fortune! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/103 "2011-09-02T06:52:59Z")
I think the knobs on it are an obvious clue people are overlooking. Clearly this is a device for determining who has the mightiest penis. The man who fills the biggest hole wins. Romans must have been in the “girth superiority” camp, rather than the “length superiority one” or else it would have looked [like this](http://www.spencersonline.com/product/yard-dick-ruler/), except bronze and the insults in roman. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/104 "2011-09-02T07:09:08Z")
Do not taunt [Roman Jolly Fun Pal Ball](http://www.kvsupply.com/KVVet/productr.asp?pf_id=81422&0=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D9000%26Tree%3D%2CComplete%20Catalog&1=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D10000%26Tree%3D%2CDog&2=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D12700%26Tree%3D%2CToys&3=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D12701%26Tree%3D%2CBall%20Toys&refcode=PRCGRAB&URLCheck=1). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/105 "2011-09-02T10:08:12Z")
The Romans were very interested in fortune telling. Good bets it’s something in those lines. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/106 "2011-09-02T16:52:02Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > One of the two. I pretty much understand what he’s getting at, but he’s wrong about what that method would measure, how accurate that would be, and how useful the results. He’s joking, or bonkers. Yeah, they seem too small to easily suspend something inside. I like the idea of some sort of agricultural gauge for sorting produce into different sizes for pricing. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/107 "2011-09-07T01:58:14Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > weed + [platonic solid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid) + water + lotsa pipes = 12 super stoned romans. > > Kinda has a ring to it, yeh? _Platonic bong._ **Dr. Roy Tam** : I guess you would call it an Inhalation-Exhalation Group Alveolar Inebriation Device. **Lamont Cranston** : Or an Platonic Bong. **Dr. Roy Tam** : Hey, that’s catchy…! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/108 "2011-09-07T02:38:49Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Like a fixture for a tent; holes for the poles and knobs for the cords. I don’t see as this because the brass version looks like it’s cut from a sheet, bent and soldered. It wouldn’t take a lot of stress. looking at a [generic image query](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=hbT&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1685&bih=703&q=Roman+dodecahedron,stone&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=7088l8158l0l8782l6l4l0l0l0l0l503l1649l3-3.0.1l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi) of the subject doesn’t narrow the purpose any. They may all be decorative or some may be game pieces and some may be gauges. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/109 "2011-09-07T06:36:11Z")
Its not clear to me from the pictures or the text: are opposite holes the same size as each other, or are all holes different sizes to each other? And if the latter, is the pattern (ie what size holes are next to what other size holes) consistent? If the answer to that last question is “no” they can’t be for [astronomical purposes](http://www.dodecaeder.nl/en/hypothese). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/110 "2011-09-07T08:23:04Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t see as this because the brass version looks like it’s cut from a sheet, bent and soldered. It wouldn’t take a lot of stress. They all look cast to me. Even the big one - the inside surface is rough. The knobs might be soldered on (or maybe some of them were soldered on as repairs). ---
**Author:** ![ecseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ecseas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecseas)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/111 "2011-09-07T09:30:46Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I think the knobs on it are an obvious clue people are overlooking. Clearly this is a device for determining who has the mightiest penis. The man who fills the biggest hole wins. Romans must have been in the “girth superiority” camp, rather than the “length superiority one” or else it would have looked [like this](http://www.spencersonline.com/product/yard-dick-ruler/), except bronze and the insults in roman. I’ve heard Romans found large penises (girth and length) comical… ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/112 "2011-09-08T15:47:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t see as this because the brass version looks like it’s cut from a sheet, bent and soldered. It wouldn’t take a lot of stress. No, they are cast. Here are some pictures of [broken dodecahedra](http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/06/10/dodecahedrons-purpose-remains-mystery/) that expose the inside, and you can see that they are cast. ---
**Author:** ![bLackbRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@bLackbRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bLackbRight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/113 "2016-07-17T03:38:45Z")
Do I have to ponder to solve perplexing problems? No. I have been an atheist my whole life and deviating from facts is not part of my dna. The Roman Dodecahedron is a target for archery. The front angle tilting backward catches the flying arrow. The different size holes are for different level of proficiency. (the tiniest hole is the bulls eye for the most proficient archer. The knobs on the corners are there to help station it and can easily be braced. The hollow interior makes stuffing it possible for reason to prevent complete penetration and or to hold a light within for night time hitting. The overall size of the RD is that of the human heart, the eye or any of many vital organs. Bronze and stone are the materials they are made because they’re the most durable to withstand hit after hit after hit I have also solved the Tri-Lobe Disk of Sabu/ Schist Disk. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/114 "2016-07-17T04:01:26Z")
> [@bLackbRight](#): > > Do I have to ponder to solve perplexing problems? No. > I have been an atheist my whole life and deviating from facts is not part of my dna. > > The Roman Dodecahedron is a target for archery. The front angle tilting backward catches the flying arrow. The different size holes are for different level of proficiency. (the tiniest hole is the bulls eye for the most proficient archer. The knobs on the corners are there to help station it and can easily be braced. The hollow interior makes stuffing it possible for reason to prevent complete penetration and or to hold a light within for night time hitting. The overall size of the RD is that of the human heart, the eye or any of many vital organs. Bronze and stone are the materials they are made because they’re the most durable to withstand hit after hit after hit > > I have also solved the Tri-Lobe Disk of Sabu/ Schist Disk. Seems highly unlikely given the severe damage to the casing that would occur being hit by [Roman bronze arrowheads of that era](http://www.ancientresource.com/lots/roman/spears-arrow-heads.html) launched from a powerful bow. None of the units in existence look like they have been battered by arrows. On the contrary they look very well cared for. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/115 "2016-07-17T04:04:51Z")
You put the ring on your finger, and hold it up to the dodecahedron, and you say, “In brightest day, in blackest night…” ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/116 "2016-07-17T15:11:14Z")
Photos of the dodecahedron strike me that it’s something functional as opposed to decorative. A tool of some sort. But, due to the variability of hole and physical size, a tool that doesn’t need to be too precise or standardized. Perhaps a craft-making tool of some sort. The legs (5 per side) with bulbous ends suggests to me something that would hold pentagon-shaped spun fabric/thread in place during manufacture. A textile tool. The holes may hold dowels in place, but the dowels could terminate in a shape requisite for making the finished product. Or, the holes could be used for threading the fabric through for some reason (e.g. different size holes for making different size finished product or pockets). The unfinished holes suggest the place (s) where the tool is fitted onto a tube or circular nub, to stabilize it when being used. Wax being found in 2 examples (but only 2 examples) suggests wax was used in the process, but not necessarily to any great extent inside the tool (or more examples would be found). Waxing the fabric, perhaps. Maybe someone more familiar with textiles and/or craft-making can kick around some ideas. Sack making? Net making? Cod piece making (_…oops, wrong era_). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/117 "2016-07-17T22:46:51Z")
> [@bLackbRight](#): > > Do I have to ponder to solve perplexing problems? No. > I have been an atheist my whole life and deviating from facts is not part of my dna. > > The Roman Dodecahedron is a target for archery. The front angle tilting backward catches the flying arrow. The different size holes are for different level of proficiency. (the tiniest hole is the bulls eye for the most proficient archer. The knobs on the corners are there to help station it and can easily be braced. The hollow interior makes stuffing it possible for reason to prevent complete penetration and or to hold a light within for night time hitting. The overall size of the RD is that of the human heart, the eye or any of many vital organs. Bronze and stone are the materials they are made because they’re the most durable to withstand hit after hit after hit > > I have also solved the Tri-Lobe Disk of Sabu/ Schist Disk. Show me some with chips & dents surrounding the holes, please. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/118 "2016-07-18T00:24:10Z")
Could you build field shelters with them, use them to hold tent poles? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/119 "2016-07-18T01:45:25Z")
Given replacement parts that fit were important to an army on the move and that shipments of spear heads and the like absolutely had to fit what your camp carpenter cut and milled from from branches & logs, perhaps it was a model that items (like spears) had to be honed down and fit into before they could be passed on to the person who fitted the next part (the metal spear head?) to the shaft. Given the multiple sizes, it could mean that they not only recognized the need for common diameters and quality control, but that they developed an easy yet durable tool to measure those common diameters (and possibly tapered angles) for what they would need to build and/or replace: tent poles, stretcher poles, spears, table legs, stool legs, etc. This tool could have been used to fit onto the end of the pole, like a ring gage, to ensure the correct diameter for the shaft for the specific job (maybe they were marked or coded with simple symbols or colors that would be easy to follow and would help in the training new camp carpenters (should some of the other camp carpenters die off in battle) . For shafts requiring a specific taper, how far the pole extended beyond the far (smaller) hole could be measured and the lines between the points could be filed or planed smooth with other tools. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945/120 "2016-07-18T04:10:38Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Could you build field shelters with them, use them to hold tent poles? That has been my thought all along. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-dodecahedron-what-do-you-think-it-was-for/585945.md?page=7)