Odeon of Nikopolis
The Roman Odeon, one of the most important and best-preserved monuments in Nikopolis, is a true architectural work of art created by an unknown, yet great architect. It is located in the center of the city, on the west side of the early Christian wall, and adjacent to the Roman forum. Lectures, literary and musical contests were held here, as well as theatre performances during the new Actian games, religious contests in honor of Apollo. It probably also served as a council chamber for the remainder of the year, as it was near the forum.
It was built during the reign of Augustus (early 1st century AD) and it underwent various repairs and modifications at the end of the 2nd – beginning of the 3rd century AD.
The Odeon consists of the auditorium, the orchestra and the stage. The auditorium had 19 rows of seats and it was divided into two sections by a small, horizontal central passageway. On the tenth row, there were small openings for acoustic reasons. Three semicircular porticos supported the auditorium which ensured its inclination. These porticos were of different height, the inner one being lower and the outer one being higher.
Spectators’ access to the seating area was via a double staircase in the middle of the south façade of the auditorium, and two additional smaller staircases on the sides led to the inner part of the auditorium.
The orchestra was semicircular and it was adorned with polychrome marble revetments, parts of which are preserved to this day. The stage had three entrances, through which one could access the road north of the Odeon. There was a deep narrow passageway between the stage and the proscenium, the “curtain channel”, used to raise the stage curtain in every theatre performance. The Roman Odeon, one of the most important and best-preserved monuments in Nikopolis, is a true architectural work of art created by an unknown, yet great architect.
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