@Harry, could be. He was a smart guy tho, wouldn't surprise if some of his anachronisms were intentional artistic license for tongue-in-cheek humor or other reasons. One of the chuckle-worthy ones that I think was intentional, from Antony and Cleopatra, has Cleopatra wanting to play billiards a couple thousand years before it was invented. :-)

Cleopatra: Let it alone. Let's to billiards: come, Charmian.