‘Ebutius’s Dilemma’ is a digital storytelling experience developed for the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow. It tells the story of a Roman centurion who left his mark on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. The Antonine Wall was the Roman Empire's most northerly frontier and is today part of a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Hunterian Museum hosts an outstanding collection of objects from the Wall.
The "Ebutius’s Dilemma" EMOTIVE experience uses digital storytelling to interpret the objects at the Hunterian's "The Antonine Wall: Rome's Final Frontier" display. It was designed to help visitors connect with the objects by engaging with Ebutius's story. The story is set just before the abandonment of the Antonine Wall by the Romans. The narrative uses the fictional character of Ebutius, a Roman soldier faced with a difficult choice: The Roman army is abandoning the Wall - his home for 20 years - and users are asked to help Ebutius decide whether to leave with them or desert the army and stay with his local Caledonian partner and their child.
While exploring the app, users discover objects related to different strands of the story which have emotional relevance to Ebutius. The story also resonates with today's visitors by using universal themes that transcend time, like love, family, and work. Read more about the context of this experience here.