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{{Short description|Stadium in Athens, Greece}}
{{About|the historical stadium|the minor neighborhood surrounding the stadium|Kallimarmaro, Athens}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Panathenaic Stadium
| nickname = Kallimarmaro
| logo_image = Panathenaic_Stadium_logo.png
| image = File:Panathenaic Stadium - panoramio (1).jpg
| image_caption = Panathenaic Stadium in 2014
| fullname = 
| location = [[Pangrati]], [[Athens]], Greece
| coordinates = {{coord|37|58|6|N|23|44|28|E|region:GR_type:landmark|display=it}}
| broke_ground = 
| built = 6th century BC <small>(racecourse)</small><br />{{circa|330}} BC <small>(in limestone by [[Lycurgus of Athens|Lykourgos]])</small><br />{{circa|144}} AD <small>(in marble by [[Herodes Atticus]])</small>
| opened = 
| renovated = 1896
| expanded = 
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = [[Hellenic Olympic Committee]]
| operator = 
| surface = 
| construction_cost = 
| architect = [[Anastasios Metaxas]] <small>(1896 renovation)</small>
| project_manager = 
| main_contractors = 
| former_names = 
| tenants = 
| seating_capacity = 144 AD: 50,000<br />1896: 60,000<ref>{{cite web |title=ΠΑΝΑΘΗΝΑΪΚΟ ΣΤΑΔΙΟ|url=https://www.hoc.gr/premises/panathenaic-stadium/|access-date=2024-10-21|lang=el}}</ref>
| record_attendance = 70,000 ([[AEK Athens B.C.|AEK Athens]] vs [[USK Praha|Slavia VŠ Praha]], 1968)<ref name="IOC"> {{cite web | title=PANATHENAIC STADIUM |url=https://www.hoc.gr/en/premises/panathenaic-stadium/ | publisher = [[Hellenic Olympic Committee]] |access-date=21 October 2024}}</ref>
| dimensions = 
| scoreboard = 
| public_transit = {{ric|Athens Tram}} {{ric|Athens Tram|T6}} [[Zappio tram stop]]
}}

The '''Panathenaic Stadium''' ({{langx|el|Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο|Panathinaïkó Stádio}}, {{IPA|el|panaθinai̯ˈko ˈstaðio|}}){{efn|{{langx|grc|στάδιον Παναθηναικόν|translit=stádion Panathēnaikón}}, as spelled by [[Philostratus]].{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=139}}}} or '''''Kallimarmaro''''' ({{lang|el|Καλλιμάρμαρο}} {{IPA|el|kaliˈmaɾmaɾo|}}, {{lit|beautiful marble}})<ref name="Kakissis"/>{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=135}} is a multi-purpose stadium in [[Athens]], Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Behan|first1=Rosemary|title=Ultratravel cityguide: Ancient Athens is great value and affluent in all the right ways|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/ultratravel/ultratravel-cityguide-ancient-athens-is-great-value-and-affluent-in-all-the-right-ways|work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|date=22 March 2016|location=Abu Dhabi}}</ref> it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of [[marble]].{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=135}}

A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman [[Lycurgus of Athens|Lykourgos]] (Lycurgus) {{circa|330}} BC, primarily for the [[Panathenaic Games]]. It was rebuilt in marble by [[Herodes Atticus]], an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD. It had a capacity of 50,000 seats. After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned. The stadium was excavated in 1869 and hosted the [[Zappas Olympics]] in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the [[1896 Summer Olympics|first modern Olympics in 1896]] and was the venue for 4 of the 9 contested sports. It was used for various purposes in the 20th century and was once again used as an Olympic venue in [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004]]. It is the finishing point for the annual [[Athens Classic Marathon]].<ref name="Kakissis"/> It is also the last venue in Greece from where the [[Olympic flame]] handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.<ref>{{cite news|title=Greece hands over Olympic flame to Rio 2016 organisers|url=http://www.theweek.in/news/sports/greece-hands-over-olympic-flame-to-rio-2016-organisers.html|work=[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]|date=28 April 2016|location=Kochi, India|quote=The flame that will burn for Rio Olympic Games was handed over to the Brazilian organisers in a spectacular ceremony held at Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Olympic flame handover from Greece to London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/london-2012-olympics-blog/2012/may/17/olympic-flame-handover-from-greece-to-london-live-coverage|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=17 May 2012|quote=The Olympic flame is due to be handed over from Greece to London this afternoon at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens...}}</ref>

==Location==
The stadium is built in what was originally a natural ravine between the two hills of Agra and [[Ardittos hill|Ardittos]],<ref name="culture.gr"/> south of the [[Ilissos]] river.{{sfn|Tobin|1993|p=89}}{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=133}} It is now located in the central Athens district of [[Pangrati]], to the east of the [[National Garden, Athens|National Gardens]] and the [[Zappeion]] Exhibition Hall, to the west of the Pangrati residential district, and between the twin pine-covered hills of Ardettos and Agra. Until the 1950s, the Ilissos River (which is now covered by (and flowing underneath) [[Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue]]) ran in front of the stadium's entrance, with the spring of Kallirrhoe, the sanctuary of Pankrates (a local hero), and the [[Cynosarges]] public gymnasium nearby.

==History==
Originally, since the 6th century BC, a racecourse stood at the site. It hosted the [[Panathenaic Games]] (also known as the Great Panathenaea), a religious and athletic festival celebrated every four years in honour of the goddess [[Athena]]. The racecourse had no formal seating and the spectators sat on the natural slopes on the side of the ravine.{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=133}}

===Stadium of Lykourgos===
In the 4th century BC the Athenian statesman [[Lycurgus of Athens|Lykourgos]] (Lycurgus) built an {{convert|850|ft|m|adj=on}} long stadium of [[poros stone]].<ref name="Dinsmoor"/> Tiers of stone benches were arranged around the track. The track was {{convert|669|ft|m}} long and {{convert|110|ft|m}} wide.{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=133}} In the ''Lives of the Ten Orators'' [[Pseudo-Plutarch]] writes that a certain Deinas, the owner of the property where the stadium was built was persuaded by Lykourgos to donate the land to the city and Lykourgos leveled a ravine.<ref name="Miller et al"/>{{sfn|Romano|1985|p=444}} [[Inscriptiones Graecae|IG II²]] 351 (dated 329 BC), records that Eudemus of Plataea gave 1000 yoke of oxen for the construction of the stadium and theater. According to Romano the "reference to the large number of oxen, indicating a vast undertaking, and the use of the word ''charadra'' have suggested the kind of building activity that would have been needed to prepare the natural valley between the two hills near the Ilissos."{{sfn|Romano|1985|p=444}} The stadium of Lykourgos is believed to have been completed for the Panathenaic Games of 330/329 BC.{{refn|<ref name="culture.gr"/><ref name="Wycherley"/><ref name="hoc history"/><ref name="Miller 2006"/><ref name="Britannica">{{cite web|last1=Abrahams|first1=Harold|authorlink1=Harold Abrahams|title=Olympic Games|url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games/History-of-the-modern-Summer-Games#ref364516|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|quote=The track-and-field events were held at the Panathenaic Stadium. The stadium, originally built in 330 bce, had been excavated but not rebuilt for the 1870 Greek Olympics and lay in disrepair before the 1896 Olympics, but through the direction and financial aid of Georgios Averoff, a wealthy Egyptian Greek, it was restored with white marble.}}</ref>}} Donald Kyle suggests that it is possible that Lykourgos did not build but "renovated or embellished a pre-existing facility to give it monumental stature."<ref>{{cite book|last=Kyle|first=Donald G.|title=Athletics in Ancient Athens|date=1993|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789004097599|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=qw4NAn5z1lwC&pg=PA94&dq=lykourgos+panathenaic+stadium 94–95]}}</ref> According to [[Richard Ernest Wycherley]] the stadium probably had stone seating "only for a privileged few."<ref name="Wycherley"/>

===Reconstruction by Herodes Atticus===
[[File:1734 - Archaeological Museum, Athens - Herodes Atticus - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 11 2009.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Herodes Atticus]] rebuilt the stadium in marble by 144 AD.]]
[[Herodes Atticus]], an Athenian who rose to the highest echelons of power in Rome, was responsible for numerous structures in Greece. In Athens he is best known for the reconstruction of the Panathenaic Stadium.{{sfn|Tobin|1993|p=81}}{{efn|The dominant view is that Herodes Atticus built the stadium on the site of the Lykourgan stadium.{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=133}} However, Romano suggested a long terrace at the [[Pnyx]] hill was the location of the Lykourgan stadium because when [[Ernst Ziller]] excavated the site of the Panathenaic Stadium he "found no trace of an earlier stadium."{{sfn|Romano|1985|pp=444-445}} Miller et al. criticize Romano's proposed location: "There is certainly no indication in Ziller's account that he was even concerned with looking for traces of anything earlier that the Stadium of Herodus Atticus."<ref name="Miller et al"/>}} Tobin suggests that "Herodes built the stadium soon after [his father] Atticus's death,  which occurred around A.D. 138. The first Greater Panathenaia following his father's demise was 139/40, and it is probable that at that time Herodes promised the refurbishment of the stadium. According to [[Philostratus]], it was completed four years later, which would have been in 143/4."{{sfn|Tobin|1993|p=81}} These dates (139/140-143-144 AD) are now widely cited as construction dates of the stadium of Herodes Atticus.{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=134}}<ref name="Dinsmoor"/><ref name="Miller 2006"/> Welch writes that the stadium was completed by 143, in time for Panathenaic festival.{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=133}}

[[File:The Biel Trone (Marble Chair from the Panathenaic Stadium at Athens, as Rebuilt by Herodes Atticus in AD 140-143) - British Museum.jpg|thumb|left|The "Biel Throne", a marble chair from the stadium in the [[British Museum]]]]
The new stadium was built completely of [[ashlar]] masonry{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}} in [[Mount Pentelicus|Pentelic]] marble,{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=133}}<ref name="Dinsmoor"/> using minimal concrete.{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}} The stadium was built at a time of resurgence of Greek culture in the mid-2nd century. Although the stadium was a "quintessentially Greek architectural type",{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=133}} it was "Roman in scale" with a massive capacity of 50,000,<ref name="Wycherley"/> which is roughly the same as that of the [[Stadium of Domitian]] in Rome.{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}} Stadia of the Classical and Hellenistic periods were smaller.{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}}<ref name="culture.gr"/> According to Welch there is a possibility that criminals were executed in the stadium, however, no evidence exists.{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=137}}

A marble throne from the ''prohedria'' (front row seating) of the stadium is kept in the [[British Museum]]. One side of the throne includes a relief showing an olive tree and a table on which rests set of wreaths and a [[Panathenaic amphora]]. The front leg is in the form of an owl.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roman marble throne, known as 'The Biel Throne', from the prohedria of the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_2001-0508-1 |website=britishmuseum.org}}</ref> Ten similar thrones have been found around Athens.{{sfn|Cecconi|2020|p=443}}

Herodes Atticus built it as "an architectural means of self-representation, and it did something analogous. The architecture of the building makes allusions to the Classical past while remaining unmistakably modern. It is Roman in scale, but it self-consciously rejects the distinguishingly Roman features of monumental facade and extensive vaulting."{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}} The seats of the [[cavea]] were decorated with owls in relief, which symbolize [[Athena]].{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}} Katherine Welch wrote in a 1998 article "Greek stadia and Roman spectacles":{{sfn|Welch|1998|pp=137-138}}
{{Quote frame|Though traditional in building materials and construction technique, the track included modern features that were specifically designed to accommodate Roman entertainments. [...]
It may thus be argued that the Panathenaic Stadium of Herodes Atticus, who was both Athens' leading son and a Roman consul, represents a middle ground between two conflicting cultural expectations. Its architectural for was self-consciously old-fashioned, yet in scale and function the building was thoroughly modern. Herodes Atticus built a new Panathenaic Stadium whose architecture reflected the prevailing nostalgia for Classical Greece but whose functions reflected the new realities of Roman power. While the building continued to be used chiefly for athletic competitions, its running track was also a place where during the imperial cult festival wild animals were slaughtered and hardened criminals (gladiators) fought, bled, and died.|align=center}}

===Abandonment===
[[File:Panathenaic stadium 1835.png|thumb|The ruins of the stadium in the background, 1835]]

After Hellenistic festivals and bloody spectacles were banned by Roman Emperor [[Theodosius I]] in the late 4th century, the stadium was abandoned and fell into ruin. Gradually, its significance was forgotten and a field of wheat covered the site.{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=134}} During the [[Duchy of Athens|Latin rule of Athens]], Crusader knights held feats of arms at the stadium. A 15th century traveler saw "not only several rows of white marble benches, but also the portico at the entrance of the stadion, which he calls the north entrance, and the stoa round the koilon, which he calls the south entrance."{{sfn|Polites|1896|p=48}} The derelict stadium's marbles were incorporated into other buildings. European travelers wrote of "magical rites enacted by young Athenian maidens in the ruined vaulted passage, aimed at finding a good husband."<ref name="hoc history"/>

[[File:Panathinaiko Stadio 1870.JPG|thumb|The stadium 1870, following excavations by Ziller]]

===Modern reconstruction===

====Excavations and Zappas Olympics====
Following [[Greek War of Independence|Greece's independence]], archaeological excavation as early as 1836 uncovered traces of the stadium of Herodes Atticus. Further, more thorough excavation was conducted by the German-born architect [[Ernst Ziller]] in 1869–70.{{sfn|Tobin|1993|p=82}} Some marbles of the stadium and four [[Herma]]i were found.<ref>Hellenic Olympic Committee, "Panathenean Stadium", informative pamphlet, not dated (after 2004).</ref> The [[Zappas Olympics]], an early attempt to revive the ancient Olympic Games, were held at the stadium in 1870 and 1875. They were sponsored by the Greek benefactor [[Evangelis Zappas]].<ref name="hoc history"/> The games had an audience of 30,000 people.{{sfn|Young|1996|ps=, Chapter 4}}

==== 1896 Olympics====
The Greek government, through crown prince [[Constantine I of Greece|Constantine]], requested the Egypt-based Greek businessman [[George Averoff]] to sponsor the second refurbishment of the stadium prior to the [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896 Olympics]].{{sfn|Young|1996|p=128}} Based on the findings of Ziller, a reconstruction plan was prepared by the architect [[Anastasios Metaxas]] in the mid-1890s.<ref name="Kakissis"/> Darling writes that "He duplicated the dimensions and design of the second-century structure, arranging the tiers of seats around the U-shaped track."{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=135}} It was rebuilt in Pentelic marble and is "distinguished by its high degree of fidelity to the ancient monument of Herodes."<ref name="hoc history"/> Averoff donated 920,000 [[Modern drachma|drachmas]] to this project.{{sfn|Darling|2004|p=135}}{{sfn|Young|1996|p=128}} As a tribute to his generosity, a statue of Averoff was constructed and unveiled on 5 April 1896 outside the stadium. It stands there to this day.<ref>{{cite news|title=George Averoff Dead: A Benefactor of Greece and Egypt|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/08/04/101824945.pdf|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=4 August 1899}}</ref>

The stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies of the [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896 Olympics]].{{sfn|Young|1996|p=153}} On 6 April (25 March according to the [[Julian calendar]] then in use in Greece), the games of the First Olympiad were officially opened; it was [[Easter Monday]] for both the [[Western Christianity|Western]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Christian Churches]] and the anniversary of [[Greek War of Independence|Greece's independence]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Running through the Ages|last=Martin|first=David E.|author2=Gynn, Roger W. H.|year=2000|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=0-88011-969-1|chapter=The Olympic Marathon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qb125O62NVQC&q=Stamata+Revithi|oclc=42823784|pages=7–8}}</ref> The stadium was filled with an estimated 60,000 spectators,<ref name="IOC" /> including King [[George I of Greece]], his wife [[Olga Constantinovna of Russia|Olga]], and their sons. Most of the competing athletes were aligned on the infield, grouped by nation. After a speech by the president of the organizing committee, Crown Prince Constantine, his father officially opened the games. The stadium also served as the venue for [[Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics|Athletics]], [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics|Gymnastics]], [[Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]] and [[Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics|Wrestling]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The first Modern Olympic Games|url=http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/ThefirstModernOlympicGames/tabid/97/language/en-US/Default.aspx|website=panathenaicstadium.gr|publisher=[[Hellenic Olympic Committee]]|date=2011|access-date=2016-06-26|archive-date=2020-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627134043/http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/ThefirstModernOlympicGames/tabid/97/language/en-US/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="125">
File:Panathenaic Stadium 1895 reconstruction.png|Reconstruction works at the stadium, 1895
File:Panathenaic Stadium 1896 oppening.jpg|alt=Panorama|The first day of the 1896 Olympics
File:Athens 1896-Entrance of the Pan-Athenian stadium.jpg|Entrance of participants to the stadium. The [[Acropolis of Athens|Acropolis]] is seen in the background.
File:1906 Intercalated Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.jpg|The opening ceremony
</gallery>

====1906 Intercalated Games====
The stadium hosted the [[1906 Intercalated Games]] from 22 April to 2 May.<ref>{{cite book|last=Polley|first=Martin|title=The British Olympics: Britain's Olympic Heritage 1612-2012|date=2013|publisher=[[English Heritage]]|isbn=9781848022263|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=k0rCTsicBa8C&pg=PA101&dq=1906+athens+olympics+Intercalated+stadium+panathenaic 101]|quote=...staged their first Intercalated Games, held once again at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, from April 22 to May 2, 1906.}}</ref>

[[File:Athens archery.jpg|thumb|upright|Archery matches in the stadium during the 2004 Olympics]]

====Home of AEK Basketball Club====
From the mid- to late 1960s, the stadium was used by [[AEK B.C.|AEK Basketball Club]]. On 4 April 1968, the [[1967–68 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup]] final was hosted in the stadium where AEK defeated [[USK Praha|Slavia VŠ Praha]] in front of around 70,000 seated spectators inside the arena and another 10,000 standing spectators near the entrance.<ref name="IOC" />

====Regime of the Colonels====
During the [[Greek military junta of 1967–74|Regime of the Colonels]] (1967–74), large annual events were held at the stadium, particularly the "Festival of the Military Virtues of the Greeks" (in late August-early September) and the "Revolution of 21 April 1967", the date of the coup that brought the right-wing regime to power. In these festivals, the stadium, "with its aura of antiquity stood as a monument to Greek rebirth, national pride, and international interest." The dictators exploited its setting to showcase their supposed popularity and propagate their new, "revolutionary" political culture.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Van Steen|first1=Gonda|author-link=Gonda Van Steen|title=Stage of Emergency: Theater and Public Performance Under the Greek Military Dictatorship of 1967-1974|date=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780198718321|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=t8yRBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA164&dq=Kallimarmaro+Panathenaic+Stadium 164–167]}}</ref>

====2004 Olympics====
The stadium "needed no major refurbishing" prior to the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in Athens.<ref>{{cite news|last=Robbins|first=Liz|title=The Hurdles Before the Games|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/travel/the-hurdles-before-the-games.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=18 July 2004}}</ref> During the games the stadium hosted the [[Archery at the 2004 Summer Olympics|archery]] competition (15–21 August) and was the finish of the [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Marathon]] for both [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's marathon|women]] (22 August) and [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|men]] (29 August).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2004/or2004b.pdf |title=Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad |volume=2 |publisher=Athens Organising Committee for the Olympic Games |isbn=960-88101-8-3 |pages=237, 242, 244 |date=November 2005| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080819195306/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2004/or2004b.pdf| archive-date= 19 August 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Athens 2004|url=http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/Athens2004/tabid/98/language/en-US/Default.aspx|website=panathenaicstadium.gr|publisher=[[Hellenic Olympic Committee]]|date=2011|access-date=2016-06-26|archive-date=2020-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705231553/http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/Athens2004/tabid/98/language/en-US/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games====
The opening ceremony of the [[2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games]] were held here which featured special appearances such as [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Vanessa Williams]] and [[Zhang Ziyi]]. The games ran from 25 June to 5 July.

==Concert venue==
On occasion, the stadium has also been used as a venue for selected musical and dance performances.
* In April 1916 [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s ''[[Aida]]'' was staged at the stadium.<ref name="moments"/>
* On 23–24 July 1985 the "Rock in Athens" Festival took place featuring singers and bands like [[Depeche Mode]], [[The Stranglers]], [[Culture Club]], [[the Cure]], [[Talk Talk]], [[Nina Hagen]], and [[the Clash]].<ref name="moments"/>
* On 2 October 1988 the "Live AID – Concert for AIDS" was held in the stadium including artists like [[Bonnie Tyler]], [[Joan Jett]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Run–D.M.C.]] and [[Black Uhuru]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Papadimitriou|first1=Lena|title=10 ροκ συναυλίες που δεν θα ξεχάσουμε [10 rock concerts that we will not forget]|url=http://www.tovima.gr/culture/article/?aid=99595|work=[[To Vima]]|date=24 May 1998|language=el}}</ref>
* On 5 October 2008, the stadium hosted the [[MTV Greece]] launch party, with guests [[R.E.M.]], [[Kaiser Chiefs]], [[C：Real]] and [[Gabriella Cilmi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2574602/rem-helps-welcome-mtv-greece-at-concert-in-athens|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810010528/http://www.mtv.com/news/2574602/rem-helps-welcome-mtv-greece-at-concert-in-athens/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 10, 2016|work=www.mtv.com |title=R.E.M. Help Welcome MTV Greece At Concert In Athens|date=6 October 2008}}</ref>
* On 1 July 2009, [[Sakis Rouvas]] performed a sold-out concert in support of environmental issues before an audience of 50,000. it was the largest attendance ever at the stadium for a non-sporting event, and the largest attendance for a single musical artist in Greek history, until [[Anna Vissi]] broke the record in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=6003 |title=A spectacular concert by Sakis Rouvas; more than 50,000 attended |last=Konstantopoulos |first=Fotis |publisher=Oikotimes|date=2 July 2009 |access-date=29 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718203055/http://www.oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=6003 |archive-date=18 July 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-02-17 |title=ΜΟΥΣΙΚΗ {{!}} «Στα άκρα»... Ηρθε η επιτυχία {{!}} ethnos.gr |url=http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22733&subid=2&pubid=8986885 |access-date=2024-08-11 |website=archive.ph |archive-date=2013-02-17 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217153326/http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22733&subid=2&pubid=8986885 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
* On 16 July 2018, the [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]] gave the "Once in a Lifetime" concert at the stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/07/16/athens-readies-to-rock-with-the-scorpions-tunes/|work=www.greece.greekreporter.com |title=Athens Gets Ready to Rock With Scorpions|date=16 July 2018}}</ref>
* On 5 October 2024, [[Anna Vissi]] broke every previous record with a concert attended by 65,000 fans.
* On 13th and 14th of September 2025, [[Anna Vissi]] performed 2 sold out concerts attended by 130,000 fans.
* On 2 October 2025, [[Robbie Williams]] performed at the stadium as part of his [[Britpop Tour]].

Other concerts include those of Spanish tenor [[Plácido Domingo]] (27 June 2007)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotstation.gr/article1344.html|work=www.hotstation.gr |title=Placido Domingo – Γιατροί Χωρίς Σύνορα – Μια φωνή για το Νταρφούρ|date=6 June 2007|language=Greek}}</ref> and a dance performance by [[Joaquín Cortés]] (14 September 2009).<ref name="moments"/>

==Other events==
The stadium hosted the opening ceremony of the [[1997 World Championships in Athletics]] on a concept by composer [[Vangelis]] and along with the performance of soprano [[Montserrat Caballé]].<ref name="moments"/><ref>{{cite web|title=March with Me - Vangelis with Montserrat Caballe (Live in Athens - Greece)|url=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x36iaxm|website=dailymotion.com|date=12 September 2015 }}</ref>

In more recent years, the stadium has been often used to honour the homecoming of victorious Greek athletes, most notably the [[Greece national football team]] after its victory at the [[UEFA Euro 2004]] on 5 July 2004<ref name="moments"/> as well as Greek medalists in recent [[Olympic Games]].

The stadium was the venue for the [[Dior]] Cruise 2022 show. The collection drew inspiration from Ancient Greek art and Greek folk culture as well as Christian Dior's Fall 1951 campaign photoshoot on the Acropolis. The show was attended by many A-listers, such as [[Anya Taylor-Joy]], [[Cara Delevingne]], [[Jisoo]] and many other global and Greek stars.

==Architecture==
Katherine Welch described the stadium as a "great marble flight of steps terraced into the contours of a U-shaped ravine — splendid in materials but ostentatiously simple in construction technique."{{sfn|Welch|1998|p=135}}

===Influence===
The Panathenaic Stadium influenced the stadium architecture in the West in the 20th century. [[Harvard Stadium]] in Boston, built in 1903, was modeled after the Panathenaic Stadium.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Guiliano|first1=Jennifer|title=Indian Spectacle: College Mascots and the Anxiety of Modern America|date=2015|publisher=Rutgers University|isbn=9780813565569|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nzx_CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA27&dq=Harvard+Stadium+Panathenaic 27]|quote=The first modern stadium was built in 1903 at Harvard University. Modeled on the Olympic Panathenaic stadium that debuted in Athens, Greece, in 1896...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Jack|title=Harvard triumph over Yale to show heart of The Game is still beating strong|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/22/harvard-yale-the-game-college-football|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=22 November 2014|quote=...the century-old design based on the Panathenaic Stadium in Athen, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games, in 1896...}}</ref> Designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]], it is the first collegiate athletic stadium in the United States. [[Deutsches Stadion]] in Nuremberg, designed by [[Albert Speer]], was also modeled on the Panathenaic Stadium.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brockmann|first1=Stephen|title=Nuremberg: The Imaginary Capital|date=2006|publisher=[[Camden House Publishing]]|isbn=9781571133458|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=QnBVEg8t4TcC&pg=PA149&dq=athens 149]|quote=Speer modeled [...] the planned Deutsches Stadion (German stadium) on the Olympic stadium in ancient Athens.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Landfester|editor1-first=Manfred|editor2-last=Cancik|editor2-first=Hubert|editor3-last=Schneider|editor3-first=Helmuth|editor1-link=:de:Manfred Landfester|editor2-link=:de:Hubert Cancik|title=Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Classical tradition, Volume 3|date=2008|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004142237|page=816|quote=A 'Deutsches Stadion' was to copy the horseshoe shape of the stadium in Athens, renovated in 1896.}}</ref> Speer was inspired by the stadium when he visited Athens in 1935.<ref>{{cite book|last=Karow|first=Yvonne|title=Deutsches Opfer: Kultische Selbstauslöschung auf den Reichsparteitagen der NSDAP|date=1997|publisher=[[Akademie Verlag]]|location=Berlin|isbn=9783050031408|page=38|language=de|quote=Deutsches Stadion (Modell) der typischen Form des langgestreckten Hufeisens – Speer nennt das Athener Stadion des Herodes Atticus, das ihn bei seinem Besuch 1935 tief beeindruckte, als architektonisches Vorbild... translation: Deutsches Stadion (model) of the typical shape of the elongated horseshoe – Speer called the Athens Stadium of Herodes Atticus, the deeply impressed him during his visit in 1935 as an architectural model...}}</ref> The stadium was designed for some 400,000 spectators and was one of the monumental structures of the Nazi regime. Its construction began in 1937, but was never completed.

==Commemorations==
The Panathenaic Stadium was selected as the main motif for a high value euro collectors' coin; the €100 Greek [[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Greece)#2003 coinage|The Panathenaic Stadium commemorative coin]], minted in 2003 to commemorate the [[2004 Olympics]]. In the obverse of the coin, the stadium is depicted.  It is shown on the obverse of all [[Olympic medal]]s awarded in the 2004 Olympics, and it was also used for the succeeding Summer Olympics in [[Beijing]] in [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008]], in London in [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012]], in Rio de Janeiro in [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016]], and in Tokyo in [[2020 Summer Olympics|2021]].

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="130px">
File:Panathenaic Stadium.png|Atlas von Athen, Berlin, 1878
File:Estadio Panatenaico.JPG
File:Kallimarmaron NW.JPG
File:Athens2.jpg|View from Mt. Lycabettus at night
File:Δισκοβόλος, Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο - panoramio (1).jpg|Discobolus statue outside the stadium by [[Konstantinos Dimitriadis]]
</gallery>

;Panorama of the Panathenaic stadium from the entrance
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:GR-athen-panathinaiko-stadion.jpg
File:Kallimarmaron Panathinaiko-Stadion 2014.jpg
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Sultanahmet Square|Hippodrome of Constantinople]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Panathenaic Stadium}}
;Notes
{{notelist}}

;References
{{Reflist|3|refs=

<ref name="hoc history">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/History/tabid/96/language/en-US/Default.aspx|website=panathenaicstadium.gr|publisher=[[Hellenic Olympic Committee]]|date=2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028084145/http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/History/tabid/96/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=2017-10-28}} (, )</ref>

<ref name="Miller et al">{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Stephen G.|author-link1=Stephen G. Miller|last2=Knapp|first2=Robert C.|last3=Chamberlain|first3=David|title=The Early Hellenistic Stadium|date=2001|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520216778|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZmHZWOYJ1QkC&pg=PA211&dq=lykourgos+panathenaic+stadium 211]}}</ref>

<ref name="Kakissis">{{cite news|last=Kakissis|first=Joanna|title=36 Hours in Athens|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-athens.html?_r=0|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=15 October 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="Dinsmoor">{{cite book|last=Dinsmoor|first=William Bell|authorlink1=William Bell Dinsmoor|title=The Architecture of Ancient Greece: An Account of Its Historic Development|date=1950|publisher=Biblo & Tannen Publishers|isbn=9780819602831|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=BqahvzeE39YC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=u-shaped+stadiums+athens 250]|quote=The Panathenaic stadium at Athens, 850 feet long, was constructed of poros stone by the legislator Lycurgus [...]; it was only long afterwards, at about A.D. 143, the stadium was reconstructed in Pentelic marble by Herodes Atticus.}}</ref>

<ref name="Miller 2006">{{cite book|last=Miller|first=Stephen G.|author-link=Stephen G. Miller|title=Ancient Greek Athletics|date=2006|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=9780300115291|page=[https://archive.org/details/ancientgreekathl00mill/page/137 <!-- quote=Panathenaic. --> 137]}}</ref>

<ref name="culture.gr">{{cite web|title=Panathenaic Stadium|url=http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/eh251.jsp?obj_id=1777|website=culture.gr|publisher=[[Ministry of Culture and Sports (Greece)|Hellenic Republic Ministry of Culture and Sports]]|date=2012|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028084007/http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/eh251.jsp?obj_id=1777|archive-date=2017-10-28}} ()</ref>

<ref name="moments">{{cite web|title=Memorable moments|url=http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/Memorablemoments/tabid/99/language/en-US/Default.aspx|website=panathenaicstadium.gr|publisher=[[Hellenic Olympic Committee]]|date=2011|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028083157/http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/ThePanathenaicStadium/Memorablemoments/tabid/99/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=2017-10-28}} ()</ref>

<ref name="Wycherley">{{cite book|last=Wycherley|first=Richard Ernest|author-link=Richard Ernest Wycherley|title=The Stones of Athens|date=1978|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9qh9BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=stadium+of+athens 215]}}</ref>

}}

==Bibliography==
;Excavation reports
*{{cite journal|last=Ziller|first=Ernst|authorlink1=Ernst Ziller|title=Ausgrabung am panathenaischen Stadion|journal=[[:de:Zeitschrift für Bauwesen|Zeitschrift für Bauwesen]]|date=1870|volume=20|pages=485–492|language=de}}
*{{cite book |last1=Lampros |first1=Spyridon P. |title=Το Παναθηναϊκόν Στάδιον και αι εν αυτώ ανασκαφαί : Εκθέσεις αναγνωσθείσαι εν τω Φιλολογικώ Συλλόγω ο Παρνασσός |date=1870 |publisher=Ν. Γ. Πάσσαρη |location=Athens}}
*{{cite book |last1=Ampelas |first1=Alex |title=Ολίγαι λέξεις περί σταδίων και δη του Παναθηναϊκού |date=1906 |publisher=Estia |location=Athens}}
*{{cite journal|last=Gasparri|first=Carlo|title=Lo stadio panatenaico. Documenti e testimonianze per una riconsiderazione dell'edificio di Erode Attico|journal=ASAtene|date=1975|volume=36-37|pages=313–392|language=it}}
;Discussions
*{{cite journal |last1=Cecconi |first1=Niccolò |title=Lo Stadio Panatenaico |journal=Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente |date=2020 |volume=98 |pages=417–455}}
*{{cite book|last=Darling|first=Janina K.|title=Architecture of Greece|date=2004|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=9780313321528|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=4F-v35--l_gC&pg=PA133 133–135]|chapter=Panathenaic Stadium, Athens}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Kalligas |first1=P. G. |title=Το Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο: Μία Νέα Ερμηνεία |journal=Αρχαιολογία Και Τέχνες |date=2009 |volume=113 |pages=86–94}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Mylonas |first1=P. M. |title=Στοιχεία από την παλαιότερη και την πρόσφατη ιστορία του Παναθηναϊκού Σταδίου |journal=PAA |date=1997 |pages=452–496}}
*{{cite book|last=Papanicolaou-Christensen|first=Aristea|title=The Panathenaic Stadium: Its history over the centuries|date=2003|publisher=Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece|isbn=9789608557376|url=http://www.nhmuseum.gr/en/publications/history/the-panathenaic-stadium-its-history-over-the-centuries/|access-date=2016-06-29|archive-date=2016-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812064430/http://www.nhmuseum.gr/en/publications/history/the-panathenaic-stadium-its-history-over-the-centuries/|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite book|last=Polites|first=N. G.|editor1-last=Lambros|editor1-first=S. P.|editor2-last=Polites|editor2-first=N. G.|title=The Olympic Games: B.C. 776 – A.D. 1896|date=1896|publisher=H. Grevel and Co|location=London|pages=31–48|url=http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1896/1896.pdf|chapter=The Panathenaic Stadion|access-date=2016-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102131051/http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1896/1896.pdf|archive-date=2015-11-02|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Rife |first1=Joseph L. |title=The Burial of Herodes Atticus: Élite Identity, Urban Society, and Public Memory in Roman Greece |journal=The Journal of Hellenic Studies |date=2008 |volume=128 |pages=92–127 |doi=10.1017/S0075426900000070 |jstor=40651725 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40651725 |issn=0075-4269|url-access=subscription }}
*{{cite journal|last=Romano|first=David Gilman|title=The Panathenaic Stadium and Theater of Lykourgos: A Re-Examination of the Facilities on the Pnyx Hill|journal=[[American Journal of Archaeology]]|date=1985|volume=89|issue=3|pages=441–454|doi=10.2307/504359|jstor=504359|s2cid=191403660 }}
*{{cite journal|last=Tobin|first=Jennifer|title=Some New Thoughts on Herodes Atticus's Tomb, His Stadium of 143/4, and Philostratus VS 2.550|journal=[[American Journal of Archaeology]]|date=1993|volume=97|issue=1|pages=81–89|doi=10.2307/505840|jstor=505840|hdl=11693/48694|s2cid=191509757 |hdl-access=free}}
*{{cite journal|last=Welch|first=Katherine|title=Greek stadia and Roman spectacles: Asia, Athens, and the tomb of Herodes Atticus|journal=[[Journal of Roman Archaeology]]|date=1998|volume=11|pages=117–145|doi=10.1017/S1047759400017220|s2cid=160360888 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Dyfri |editor1-last=Palagia |editor1-first=Olga |editor2-last=Spetsieri-Choremi |editor2-first=Alkestis |title=The Panathenaic Games: Proceedings of an International Conference Held at the University of Athens, May 11-12, 2004 |date=2015 |publisher=Oxbow Books |isbn=978-1-78297-982-1 |pages=147–158 |chapter=The Panathenaic Stadium from the Hellenistic to the Roman Period: Panathenaic Prize-Amphorae and the Biel Throne}}
*{{cite book|last=Young|first=David C.|title=The Modern Olympics: A Struggle for Revival|year=1996|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=0-8018-7207-3}}

{{Athens}}
{{Landmarks in Athens}}
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{{1896 Summer Olympic venues}}
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{{Olympic venues archery}}
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{{AEK Athens B.C.}}
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[[Category:1896 establishments in Greece]]
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[[Category:Athletics in Athens]]
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