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Athens guide
» Sightseeings » Odeon of Herodus Atticus |
The Odeon of Herodus Atticus, as it stands today
with its recent restorations, gives us a real picture of what these
Roman Odea looked like, minus the ceiling, which must have been made
of wood. The difference between a theater and an odeon is precisely
that the latter had a ceiling while the theater was always in the
open. A steep amphitheater could hold 5,000 spectators.
The seats were, and have again been, faced with white Pentelic marble.
The semi-circular orchestra is of the Roman type with a high spacious
stage at the back. The wall behind the stage is pierced by windows
and the niches were used for statues. Concerts are given and ancient
drama and comedy are now performed there during summer. When we listen
to tragedy, the same words give us the same thrill today and the deep
human feelings are felt as profoundly as 24 centuries ago, while the
witty repartee of Aristophane’s comedies is
as contemporary as if it had just been written. Herodus Atticus lived
in the second century A.D. He was the son of a very rich man from
Marathon. It was thought in those days that his father had made his
fortune by digging on the site of the battlefield where he discovered
a great Persian treasure. Wherever this money may have come from,
Herodus put it to good use. He built public utilities all over Greece,
the stadium at Delphi, the water system at Olympia,
the fountain house and odeon of Corinth and many
other buildings among which the stadium of Athens and the odeon below
the Acropolis. This last he put up in memory of his
beloved wife Regilla. Gossip again had its say on this. It was found
that he had gone a bit too far in displaying his grief: he even put
a facing of black marble on his house in Kifissia (a summer resort
near Athens) and people wondered whether it was from great love or
whether it was to allay suspicion of his having brought about her
death when he got tired of living with her.
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