https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/mathematician-challenges-a-2-000-year-old-legend-about-the-parthenon-s-optical-illusionsContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/mathematician-challenges-a-2-000-year-old-legend-about-the-parthenon-s-optical-illusionshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/mathematician-challenges-a-2-000-year-old-legend-about-the-parthenon-s-optical-illusions#u76064Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:05:07 +0000A UK mathematician has challenged a two-thousand-year-old legend regarding the optical illusions of the Parthenon. For millennia, explanations have followed the first-century BCE writings of Vitruvius, who stated that the Acropolis temple featured horizontal curves to prevent the structure from appearing to sag visually. New research questions whether the ancient architects actually used the optical trick that they have long been credited with employing. The findings offer a different perspective on the design choices behind the famous ancient Greek monument.Why it mattersThe Parthenon has fas