The Shadows of the Ecclesia: The broken oath of a philosopher hoplite

When democracy falters: a historical game book set in ancient Athens.

Athens, 429 BC.

In the midst of the Peloponnesian War, the first democracy in history is weakened by fear, urgency and civic weariness. Behind the apparent functioning of the institutions, a discreet power is organising itself, convinced that it must govern in place of the people to save the city.

In Les Ombres de l’Ecclésia (The Shadows of the Ecclesia), Marco Chateau offers an ambitious historical game book, combining political investigation, documented fiction and civic reflection. The reader plays the role of Demetrios, a former hoplite turned philosopher, drawn into the heart of the debates of the Assembly, the secret trials of the Areopagus and the manoeuvres of an influential circle operating within the democratic system itself.

Each choice shapes the narrative and questions the mechanisms of power: should one speak out at the risk of losing everything, or remain silent in order to survive? How far can a democracy restrict itself without betraying itself?

Rigorously rooted in its historical context, Les Ombres de l’Ecclésia renews the gamebook genre with a political and mature approach, offering several nuanced endings rather than a simplistic victory.