Odeon of Herodes Atticus

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Odeon of Herodes Atticus
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Herodes Atticus

• Prominent Roman rhetorician
• Roman name Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius
  Claudius Atticus Herodes Marathonios
• None of his speeches remain
• Richest man in Athens
• Second Sophistic Era Herodes was the
• greatest orator of the time

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Herodes Atticus

• Re-built Panathenaic stadium in 144 A.D.
• Rebuilt in 1896 for Olympic Games
• Athenians were impressed over Stadium
• Served as archon at Athens and consul
• at Rome
• Officiated as the Priest of Dionysus
• at the Panathenaic Festivals
• Died in 178 A.D. at seventy-six

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Panathenaic Stadium

• Will hold Olympics in 2012
• Holds 80,000 people

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Excavations of Herodes Atticus

• President of Iobacchoi club-house in west
  valley of Acropolis
• Association to honor Bacchos, god of wine
• Private estate in Kynouria, south of Argos
• Shows wealth in architecture, mosaics and
  sculpture
• Associated with two demes Kephisia and Marathon
• Kephisia found part of villa with burial
  chamber

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Landscape and Location

• Southwest side of the acropolis
• Natural hollow auditorium
• Rows of seating in a perfect semi-circle
• Entrance for the choir and audience

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Facts and Details

• Built in 161 A.D.
• Said by many Athenians to be the grandest in
  Greece
• Diameter is 80 meters
• Capacity of 5000-6000 people
• Covered by a roof of cedar
• Built in memory of Herodes Atticus wife
• Feature a marble auditorium
• Raised stage
• No traises of interior supports

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Pictures
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Present Day

• Serves as the citys major theatre
• Rumor of why it was built
• Recent concert
• Yannis 1996 performance
• Live at the Acropolis

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Bibliography

• http//www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/herodes
  20atticus/herodes_atticus.htm
• http//www.sailingissues.com/yachting-guide/acropo
  lis-athens-1.html
• http//ireland.wlu.edu/landscape/Group4/phidiasath
  ena.jpg
• http//web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/gree
  k/herodes.html
• http//www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/135116216/
• Camp, John M. The Archaeology of Athens. 2001.
  p.213 - 21