Bouleuterion / Odeon of Ephesus
Ephesus, Turkey
150 CE
The Bouleuterion – Odeum of Ephesus is situated in the northeastern part of the Public Agora, next to the city’s Prytaneum. It’s a semicircular theatrical building with a dual functional role, which underwent several construction phases. The restoration program that took place in the area turned the monument into one of the best-preserved buildings in Ephesus and contributed to its tourist development.
Ephesus was governed by a two assembly system of administration. These were the advisory council and the assembly of citizens. The advisory council (Boule) held its meetings in the Odeum. Therefore the building is also called the Bouleuterion.
The assembly of citizens was made up of all the Ephesians. On certain days of the year the assembly of citizens held its meetings in the Ephesus Theater. The Odeum had the aspect of a small theatre.
Its difference from a theatre was that it was once covered. The seating section of the building of which restoration is at present going on, was reached by stepped side streets covered by vaults on two sides. The holding capacity was about 500. The benches were of marble, and their legs were in the shape of lions’ paws. The stage building was two storeyed. It opened to the inner part by five doors with the centre one built higher than the others.
The ground plan shows a semi-circular building of 46 m. in diameter and oriented towards the south. The Bouleuterion – Odeum of Ephesus is built on a natural slope, so it takes advantage of the soil formation, but it is also possible that it was also supported by radial vault constructions under the cavea. It is defined by a strong curved retaining wall, which was reinforced by buttresses and portals/pilasters, while in the south of the architectural formation one can find the skene.
The cavea of the theatre-like edifice was semi-circular, constructed with well-made marble bricks and divided by a diazoma (praesinctio) into two vertical parts (maeniana). The bottom part of the cavea (ima cavea, theatron) is divided by 6 staircases (scalaria) into 5 tiers (cunei) of 14 rows of seats, while the upper part of the cavea (summa cavea, epitheatron) was divided by 11 staircases into 10 tiers of 10 rows of seats.5 The last seats in every tier end in lion paws. The total capacity of the building is approximately 1,500 spectators. On the upper ending of the cavea, red granite columns that supported an entablature decorated with ornaments of the Ionic and Doric order, constituted a portico (porticus in summa cavea, 1.5 m. wide).
