odeum of Pericles

The Odeum of Pericles was a square concert hall built in Athens around 435 BCE by the statesman Pericles. It was located next to the Theatre of Dionysus and was likely used for rehearsals. This early odeum differed from later ones in its square shape and pointed roof.1

Odeums were relatively small theaters in ancient Greece and Rome where musicians and orators performed and competed. They may have originated because early Greek musical instruments were difficult to hear in larger, open-air amphitheaters. The Odeum of Pericles was reportedly burned down in the 1st century BCE. Later, in 161 CE, Herodes Atticus built a new, semicircular odeum at the base of the Acropolis, which could seat approximately 6,000 spectators and is still in use today.1