The Curve of the North Stylobate of the Parthenon

Abstract

Professor Constantine Caratheodory published an article concerning this curve in the 'ApXatoXOYLK' 'E01 7pUEpti, 1937, p. 120. The article gives the reader the impression that the curve was intended to be the arc of a circle of great radius (R = 5560 m., that is, more than 52 kilometers). The Professor is of the opinion that many properties of the circle, the simplest of all curves, were known at the time the Parthenon was built, but that it was not until the middle of the 4th century B.C. that the mathematician Menaichmos discovered the parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola. Hence, the Professor argues, the curve of the stylobate of the Parthenon was a circle. It hardly seems possible, however, that the conic sections, which possess delightful intricacies, sprang fully formed from the brain of any one man, like fully armed Athena from the head of Zeus. Without doubt he codified and amplified such treatises on the conics as had been written before his day. A good many articles have been written on the curve of the north stylobate of the Parthenon. As Professor Caratheodory's article is the most recent and is based upon careful measurements taken recently by Nicholas Balanos, the Professor's article deserves thorough study. All four stylobates of the Parthenon-north, south, east, and west-are cut to curves. The north stylobate is the best preserved, and, on that account, writers have confined their attention chiefly to the curve of this stylobate. The following dates are of interest for our discussion: