Harpastum

thumb|, ancient Roman fresco ', also known as ', was a form of ball game played in the Roman Empire. The Romans also referred to it as the small ball game. The ball used was small (not as large as a , , or football-sized ball) and hard, probably about the size and solidity of a softball, and was stuffed with feathers. The word is the latinisation of the Greek (), the neuter of (), 'carried away', from the verb (), 'to seize, to snatch'.

This game was apparently a Romanized version of a Greek game called (Greek: ), or of another Greek game called (Greek: ). It involved considerable speed, agility and physical exertion. The two teams needed to keep the ball on their side of the field as long as they could.