Herodes Atticus is a name familiar to many, thanks to the ancient odeon beneath the Acropolis of Athens that bears his name. Yet few are aware of the dark secret tied to this iconic historical landmark. Situated on the Acropolis’ southwest slope, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a masterpiece of Roman architecture and remains a key venue for Athens’ most prestigious cultural events.
Performing in this historic venue is one of the greatest honours a Greek artist can receive.
The history of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens
The odeon was built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus, a wealthy Greek aristocrat who was also a Roman senator and a prominent figure of his time.
Herodes dedicated the theatre to his beloved wife, whose name was Aspasia Annia Regilla. However, this dedication holds a gruesome secret that has a dark side to it. Beneath its beauty and grandeur lies a harsh, dark and tragic story that has shadowed its existence for centuries. This story remains mostly unknown to the masses to this day.
Regilla, the wife of Herodes Atticus was a woman born into an elite Roman family in Athens. She married Herodes at the young age of 14 in what was likely a politically motivated union, rather than a romantic story of two people in love. Despite her important role in Athenian society as a priestess and benefactor of Greece, the life of Regilla would take a dark twist in 160 AD.
Regilla funded significant public works around Greece, such as the grand nymphaeum at Olympia, which she dedicated to the king of the ancient Greek gods, Zeus. As a priestess of goddess Demeter and Tyche herself, she had an important religious role in the elite circles of the time, gaining widespread recognition.
Additionally, the fact that she came from a very wealthy Roman family allowed her to sponsor projects like the Peirene Fountain in Corinth, making her a prominent and popular figure in Greece.
What happened to Regilla, the wife of Herodes Atticus
Regilla was eight months pregnant with her sixth child when she tragically died after being kicked in the abdomen by Alcimedon, a freedman of Herodes. Freedmen were emancipated slaves in antiquity, who had obtained their freedom for a variety of reasons.
Regilla’s brother, Appius Annius Atilius Bradua, accused Herodes of orchestrating the attack and brought him to trial, seeking justice for the tragic death of his pregnant sister. The trial took place in Rome because of the high-profile nature of the case and the important political positions of those involved.
Despite compelling evidence and the well–known temper of Herodes Atticus, he was finally acquitted—likely due to his influence and ties to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who had actually been a pupil of Herodes a few years earlier.
The circumstances surrounding Regilla’s death are still contested, with experts disagreeing about what happened that day.
Some believe that Herodes acted out of rage or frustration stemming from issues within their marriage. This scenario suggests that Herodes incited Alcimedon to kill his wife.
However, others believe that Alcimedon may have acted of his own volition, possibly with covert approval from Herodes himself. In either case, the death of Regilla is recognized as a gruesome act of domestic violence that shook Athenian and Roman society of the time.
Herodes Atticus actions in Athens after Regilla’s death
Following Regilla’s death, Herodes publicly showed profound grief. He draped his home in mourning colours and commissioned several monuments to be constructed in memory of Regilla, including the magnificent Odeon of Herodes Atticus we know today.
The Odeon is capable of seating 5,000 spectators. It was constructed using Pentelic marble and cedar wood and was a true architectural marvel of its time.
While some believe that these acts were sincere tributes to his dead wife by Herodes, others claim that they were used by him to cleanse his conscience and restore his tarnished public reputation.
Either way, this tragic incident is the reason why Athens is now adorned by a magnificent theatre, where hundreds of events take place every year.