# Parthenon illusion myth takes a hit

> An Oxford mathematician says the Parthenon’s famous optical fixes may solve problems that were never really there.
- Title: Parthenon illusion myth takes a hit · the Guardian | Shortify
- Summary: An Oxford mathematician says the Parthenon’s famous optical fixes may solve problems that were never really there. The Parthenon’s curves may be real, but…
- Keywords: parthenon, optical illusions, alain goriely, university of oxford, athens, acropolis, vitruvius, greek architecture, hering illusion, entasis, royal society open science, frank salmon
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/science/2026/sep/16/uk-mathematician-debunks-myth-parthenon-optical-illusions
- Published: 2026-09-16T04:01:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: parthenon, optical illusions, alain goriely, university of oxford, athens, acropolis, vitruvius, greek architecture, hering illusion, entasis, royal society open science, frank salmon
## A famous story wobbles
The Parthenon has long been praised as a temple whose subtle curves corrected visual flaws. Alain Goriely argues that story does not hold up.

> The optical illusions the curves are meant to fix are either nonsense or practically imperceptible.
## Vitruvius seeded it
Goriely traces the idea to Vitruvius, writing about the temple roughly 400 years after it was built. The claim then hardened into architectural lore.

> I do think it might be the oldest myth that we have
## The base probably did not sag
The Parthenon’s base rises about 6cm at the centre. The old claim says this prevented viewers from seeing a sag, but Goriely found no real evidence for that illusion.
## Columns were too vertical
One explanation borrows from the Hering illusion, where lines can look bowed on a flat page. Goriely says the Parthenon’s columns are too upright, and the effect is unproven in 3D.
## Tiny bulges, weak case
The columns do bulge slightly, a curve called entasis. But at the Parthenon the bulge is only about 18mm, barely visible from normal viewing distances.
## Other reasons fit better
The base curve may have helped rain drain away. Curved columns may simply have looked more natural and pleasing to ancient Greek builders.

> Trust your own eyes, question what you see
## Key takeaway

The Parthenon’s curves may be real, but the long-told story that they corrected major visual illusions is weakly supported.