Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Name of Building
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Town or City, Country where the building was originally established
Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens, Greece
Date the building was designed and/or first built
Constructed: 161 CE
Destroyed: 267 CE
Restored: 1950s
Name of Architect, Builder, or Primary Patron Responsible
Patron: Herodes Atticus
Culturally Specific Time Period
Antonine Period, Roman Empire
Geo-Location
37.97083235264885, 23.724735953329304
Materials
Stone Structure
Marble Steps and Stage
Cedar Wood (Original Roof, Now Gone)
Pentelic Marble (Restoration)
Size and/or Scale of Building
Diameter Total: Around 80 M
Diameter Orchestra: Around 20 M
Diameter Orchestra: Around 20 M
Steps can seat around 5000-6000 People
Architectural Type
Public
Formal Style
Classic Architecture
Building Description
A three story stage with a Greco-Roman classical facade, originally adorned with statues and other regalia, sits in front of a semi-circle of steppes that serve as its audience, the cavea. The theater seems to sink into the ground, leading all attention to the stage in front. While the whole building was at one point covered in a roof made out of Cedar from the Levant, it now serves as an open air venue. The purpose same as it is today, music,festivities, and poetry recitals. After restoration in the 1950s it has become a popular place for concerts, shows, and other live events. It is a testament to ancient understanding of the needs of the population, that being a desire for public spaces.
Image source
Image 1:Athen Odeon Herodes Atticus BW 2017-10-09 13-12-44.jpg (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athen_Odeon_Herodes_Atticus_BW_2017-10-09_13-12-44.jpg)
Image 2: Puccini's Tosca at the Theater of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece (2012).jpg (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Puccini%27s_Tosca_at_the_Theater_of_Herodes_Atticus_in_Athens,_Greece_(2012).jpg)
Image 3:Atticus-AcropolisOdeonHerodes-Built between 160 and 170 AD.jpg (https://jstor.org/stable/community.15265114)
Image 2: Puccini's Tosca at the Theater of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece (2012).jpg (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Puccini%27s_Tosca_at_the_Theater_of_Herodes_Atticus_in_Athens,_Greece_(2012).jpg)
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Image 3:Atticus-AcropolisOdeonHerodes-Built between 160 and 170 AD.jpg (https://jstor.org/stable/community.15265114)
Creative Commons or other copyright information
Image 1: Creative Commons
Image 2: Creative Commons
Image 3: Artstor Collection License
Image 2: Creative Commons
Image 3: Artstor Collection License
Student First and Last Name
Waldemar Barrios
Citation
Patron: Herodes Atticus, “Odeon of Herodes Atticus,” World Architecture, accessed June 28, 2026, https://worldarchitecture.artinterp2.org/items/show/72.
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