Thursday, September 17, 2026
Science

Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions

One of Athens' crowning jewels is the Parthenon, a classical temple on the Acropolis that overlooks the Greek capital. According to legend, many historians, textbooks and tour guides say the ancient Greek architects who designed it added subtle curves and other variations to correct optical illusion...

Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions
Image: Phys.org
One of Athens' crowning jewels is the Parthenon, a classical temple on the Acropolis that overlooks the Greek capital. According to legend, many historians, textbooks and tour guides say the ancient Greek architects who designed it added subtle curves and other variations to correct optical illusions that would have disturbed the building's clean lines.

Originally published at Phys.org

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