The Parthenon of Classical Greece

The Parthenon, which stands in Greece, was a temple built during the Doric Order of Classical Greece and was dedicated to Greece’s protector, the goddess Athena. It is known today as a “perfect” geometric masterpiece and the best representation of using a mathematical approach to achieve perfect symmetry by applying a certain ratio known as the Golden Section, Golden Ratio, Golden Mean, or Divine Proportions. The ratio, attributed to Pythagoras who also created the Pythagorean Theorem, is defined by the number Phi (1.618033988749895….. ), when the width is divided by the length of a structure (The Golden Section). This ratio has had a significant impact on modern day art, such as Piet Mondrian who used the Golden Ration to create Minimalistic art pieces that are the most pleasing to the human eye, such as “Broadway Boogie Woogie” (Obara).

Classical Greece was a time of philosophies, artistic and scientific discoveries, and politics ( Classical Greece). It was a time when people shifted from irrational beliefs, such as belief in gods, to more rational ideas that pertained to the natural world. Therefore, the creation of the Parthenon is good representation of shift toward perfecting the Greeks’ lives and their knowledge of the world. Perfect ratios and geometric shapes reflect the Greeks’ attempt to make sense of the world by using very linear approaches, such as the scientific method, in art, science and math. Classical Greek philosophers such as Plato believed that if something exists, one should be able to see it or feel it. In other words, one could not conceive something that they could not see or feel. This idea reflects the Greek’s attempt to solve life’s mysteries like a jigsaw puzzle where each piece fits in perfectly.