Bulgaria, Nicopolis ad Istrum – Odeon (00:00:44)

In a general way, the construction of an odeon was similar to that of an ancient Greek theatre and Roman theatre, but it was only a quarter of the size and was provided with a roof for acoustic purposes, a characteristic difference. The prototype odeon was the Odeon of Pericles (Odeon of Athens), a mainly wooden building by the southern slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was described by Plutarch as “many-seated and many-columned” and may have been square, though excavations have also suggested a different shape, 208 ft × 62 ft (63 m × 19 m). It was said to be decorated with the masts and spars of ships captured from the Persians. It was rebuilt by king Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia after its destruction by fire in the First Mithridatic War in 87–86 BC.