Ostrakon
5–12 players • 50 min • ages 8+
- Players
- 5–12 players
- Playing time
- 50 min
- Age
- 8+
How it plays
Ostrakon plays 5–12 players, takes about 50 minutes to play, and is recommended for ages 8 and up.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
The ostrakon emerged from the democratic tradition of ancient Athens, serving as a primary mechanism for ostracism. A citizen would scratch a name onto a discarded pottery shard, which functioned as a makeshift ballot. When a sufficient number of these shards were cast against an individual, that person was exiled from the city for a decade. These artifacts were created not for aesthetic appreciation but as a practical, democratic tool to mitigate the influence of powerful figures and prevent potential tyranny.
The design of an ostrakon is defined by its utilitarian simplicity, consisting of broken ceramic fragments repurposed from amphorae or other common household vessels. Archaeological findings reveal that the inscriptions were often hurried, reflecting the urgency of civic assembly proceedings. While historians value these items as primary evidence of political life and literacy levels in the fifth century BCE, they were originally meant to be anonymous, disposable expressions of a collective political will.
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Who's collecting this
Real games collectors on collecto.rs who have this in their public collection.
About Ostrakon
Ostrakon is a game in the Board Games catalog on collecto.rs. 5–12 players • 50 min • ages 8+. Catalog data is sourced from Wikidata. No public games collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
How do you play Ostrakon?
Ostrakon is a board game for 5–12 players, running about 50 minutes. collecto.rs catalogues the game, not its rules — for the full rulebook, use the copy in the box or the publisher's own site.
How many players is Ostrakon for?
Ostrakon is built for 5–12 players. That count comes from this catalog entry alone — nothing from an expansion or a spin-off is folded into it.
How long does Ostrakon take to play?
A game of Ostrakon is listed at about 50 minutes. Real sessions run shorter or longer depending on player count and how well the table already knows the game.
What age is Ostrakon for?
Ostrakon lists a minimum age of 8. That's a recommended starting age rather than a hard rule.
How many collectors track Ostrakon on collecto.rs?
Ostrakon doesn't have any public collectors on collecto.rs yet. Sign up to add it and become the first.
Can I track my own copy of Ostrakon?
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Where does the Ostrakon catalog entry come from?
The catalog entry for Ostrakon is sourced from Wikidata. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.
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