The
building of the Parthenon was especially drafted to correct an optical
illusion. As a matter of fact, our sight distorts the reality of the
horizontal and vertical lines. To make up for this flaw, the columns are
slightly biased towards the inside and their bases are a little convex. (the
curve is, in fact, used to give the illusion of a straight line). For the
same aesthetic reason, the columns at each angle, on account of their
isolated position, possess diameters, slightly wider that the others.
Click
on the left part of the frieze to visualize the detail of the west façade.. |