The Optical Illusion of Expertise: Unpacking the Parthenon's Myth Making Machine The recent paper by Oxford mathematician Alain Goriely has challenged a long held notion about the ancient Greeks' supposed mastery of optical illusions in their iconic Parthenon design.
For centuries, we've been led to believe that the temple's architects employed deliberate geometric placement and curvature to create an illusion of straight lines and regular spacing.
However, Goriely's analysis reveals that this myth has been perpetuated by a combination of historical misunderstanding and anachronistic projection.