Why is the Parthnon considered the epitome of classical Greek architecture?
What will be an ideal response?
The Parthenon is famous both for its architectural perfection and for the sculptural decoration that is so carefully integrated into the structure. In the clarity of its parts, the harmony among them, and its overall senses of proportion and balance, it represents the epitome of classical architecture. The classical sense of beauty manifests itself in the architects' use of the Golden Section, believed by the Greeks to be the most beautiful of all proportions. The Greeks, with their great affinity for geometry, quickly realized that a rectangle based on these proportions could easily be divided and subdivided into sections, or Golden Rectangles. The east and west facades of the Parthenon are such rectangles; the ground plan of the structure is laid out in similar proportions. The mathematical regularity of the temple is particularly suited to the worship of Athena, who is not only goddess of war but also goddess of wisdom or rationality.