Prof Alain Goriely from the University of Oxford has conducted a comprehensive investigation into optical illusions associated with the Parthenon, the ancient Greek temple on the Acropolis in Athens. His mathematical modeling and detailed analysis have led him to conclude that the supposed optical illusions the structure’s design elements were meant to correct either do not exist or are imperceptible to the human eye.
The mathematician traces the origins of this widely accepted belief to Vitruvius, a Roman architect and engineer from the 1st century, who wrote about the Parthenon approximately 400 years after its construction. Vitruvius’s account became incorporated into architectural literature and subsequently established as conventional wisdom, with the narrative continuing to be repeated by modern sources including artificial intelligence chatbots. Goriely suggests this may represent one of history’s most enduring myths.
One of the primary claims Goriely examines concerns the Parthenon’s base, which features a gentle arc rising approximately 6cm at the center rather than remaining horizontal. Vitruvius attributed this curve to correcting an illusion that would cause the base to appear to sag in the middle. However, Goriely found no supporting evidence for the optical phenomena Vitruvius described. He similarly challenged claims regarding the columns, which feature a curvature known as entasis, arguing that the supposed illusion this was meant to counteract lacks scientific basis, and the bulging is minimal at typical viewing distances.
Goriely proposes alternative explanations for these architectural features, suggesting that the curved base may have served practical purposes such as preventing water accumulation, while curved columns might have been chosen primarily for aesthetic reasons. A professor of classical architecture at Cambridge noted that some scholars have long questioned Vitruvius’s interpretations, particularly given that his writings described Greek architectural practices from centuries prior to his own time.
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