Remembering my first-digit years, I still have a vivid recollection on how I used to be amused at this majestic place in Greece where my mom and her friends took a video clip with it. ‘Twas the Acropolis, particularly The Parthenon–situated since 500 BC in great reverence to Greek goddess Athena (who’s well-known as the goddess of wisdom).
I know, it’s severely damaged. Some of its parts are already badly mangled. Yet, it was one of the most ambitious architectural developments in history. And, to think, it’s been the most imitated form of architecture on modern buildings to date.
For a tad bit of historical background, it was built during the Golden Age of Greece at the time of Pericles, when democracy flourished and was well embraced by the Athenian people. Various architects and craftsmen joined forces to build this all-marble, monumental place for about 9 years.
The Parthenon was considered to be the Greeks’ highest form of art. Without any architectural plan, it was symmetrically built to perfection.
Parthenon’s Forms of Measurement
Optical refinements were widely applied in its construction. To the naked-eye, you can presume that it’s built in straight lines as depicted by enormously standing rigid columns. But, if you get to look from the floors to the columns closer, you will notice a slight curvature that seems impossible to reckon full-scale on-the-spot by hand. Moreover, almost all of the blocks are measured less than 90 degree angle, which adds to the building’s intriguing secrets. 
The use of ideal body measurement etched in what is so-called the Salamis Stone, also considered as another standard measure for beauty, was believed to be utilized by these skilled artisans in order to have a universal form of measurement.
Golden ratio was also suspected to be another basis because of the structure’s perfect proportions, as witnessed on the height to width facades. This, however, was later discredited, suggesting another ratio was rather utilized–and is called the 4:9 Ratio.
Stacking the Beams Together
The beam was simply but ingeniously structured. This was possible by sticking a block of wood which served as an inner pin or a fastener on the centers of the two connected drums, thereby meeting together in a perfect fit. It was so airtight that the 2,500 year-old wood was still preserved when the restoration architects discovered it. But, in lieu of using the same old cedar wood block, the restorers opt to use a steadfast titanium steel instead.
More on the Optical Refinement: Entasis
This subtle curvature found along the columns is referred to as an optical refinement called the entasis curve. Due to its extreme subtlety, the ancients may have to set their compass to a radius of almost a mile just to get it right on a full scale.
So, how’d they really do it without going to such distance just to draw it full-scale?
The answer lies on the Temple of Apollo in Turkey (formerly Didyma). The discoverers, composed of Germans, noticed a slight curvature at the base of the temple. From there, it seems like the sunlight helped the ancients depict the full-scale of such optical refinement. But, since it was impossible to actually draw it as-is, they scaled down the height of the column by a factor of 16. The width, on the other hand, left unchanged. So, each horizontal line is still the radius of a full-scale column. A stonemason only needs to set his compass to any line of the template to get the diameter of any corresponding point of the column.
Tested through Time
Many years have passed, and the Parthenon has been tested by both nature and human abuse. Today, some of its remains amazingly stand still. But, like all other structures, it’s prone to destruction. Good thing the Greek government sought restoration to this once glorious place for 30 years and counting.
So, I guess, I have still the chance to get to see it standing still in the future.
Sources
Here’s a transcript of Nat Geo’s Secrets of the Parthenon
Short History of Parthenon at Wikipedia
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