Odeon - Teatro Piccolo (Small Theater), Pompei

The Odeon, also known as the Small Theater, is one of Pompeii’s most refined public buildings, located near the larger open-air theater in the city’s entertainment district. Built around 80–75 BC, shortly after Pompeii became a Roman colony, it was commissioned by the local magistrates Marcus Porcius and Caius Quinctius Valgus, who also supported the construction of the Amphitheater.

In Roman times, locals called it the “roofed theater” because it had a four-pitched tiled roof. This roof improved acoustics and helped make the venue ideal for poetry recitals, musical performances, and mime shows, one of the most popular theatrical genres of the period. With seating for about 1,500 spectators, it offered a more intimate experience than the nearby Large Theater.

Visitors can still appreciate the Odeon’s balanced, Greek-style design. Its lower seating rows were once separated from the upper rows by a high parapet, and the structure was richly decorated with multicoloured marble. Large male tuff figures, known as telamones, supported parts of the seating. The surviving masonry also preserves ancient graffiti left by spectators, some of whom may have travelled long distances to attend performances here.