Popular conceptions that the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis in central Athens – rightly considered as the quintessence of Classical antiquity – was a radiantly illuminated by sunlight that reflected from the off-white hue of Pentelic marble from which it was constructed, has now been profoundly challenged.
Specifically, a four-year study by Oxford archaeologist Professor Juan de Lara, published in “The Annual” of the British School at Athens, combines old-guard archaeology and advanced 3D technology to assert that the ancient Athenians used “used advanced lighting techniques to transform the inside of the Parthenon into a stage of divine spectacle.”
The renowned temple, most of whose columns remain today and still distinctive as a structure, was dedicated to the Olympian goddess Athena, in who’s honor the ancient city was named.
According to a report in the online journal Archaeology News, “…instead of the traditional vision of Greek temples as bright, marble spaces, de Lara’s research shows that the Parthenon was kept dim. This dark atmosphere created a theatrical setting for a dramatic lighting effect that seemed to illuminate the enormous chryselephantine statue of Athena by Phidias, made in 438 BCE.
Credit: Juan de Lara
“Using advanced digital modeling and physically based light simulation, de Lara reconstructed the temple architecture to within a margin of error of only two centimeters. The model accounted for the materials used—reflectivity of ivory, gold, and polished marble—and took into account ancient values of solar movement. His calculations verified that on specific mornings during the time of the Panathenaic Festival, when the goddess was being celebrated every four years, the light of the sun would enter the temple through its eastern doorway. It would fall upon Athena’s golden robes, illuminating her against the darkened interior—a calculated and awe-inspiring optical illusion.”
The Acropolis archaeological site, which includes the Parthenon as its ‘jewel’, is the most visited place in Greece.
Parthenon temple on a sinset. Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis in Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena.
