Contrary to Enlightenment-era belief, ancient Greece’s Parthenon was actually “dark and dim” on the inside. A new study confirmed that the Athenian temple’s interior was never exposed to the open sky, nor constantly filled with natural light, as it appears in many familiar depictions. Rather, architects of the Parthenon built a roof to cover its entrance and a wooden wall to enclose its porch. But they also strategically manipulated light to create awe-inspiring visual effects within, which peaked at spiritually significant times.
Built on the Athenian Acropolis in the 5th century BCE, the Parthenon was once a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Today, its remains represent the pinnacle of classical Greek art and Western civilization.
Multidisciplinary Study Reveals Parthenon’s Ancient Lighting Effects
Oxford University archaeologist and professor Juan de Lara led the four-year multidisciplinary study that illustrates exactly how Greece’s iconic Parthenon temple was illuminated in antiquity. The study combined archaeological evidence with optical and 3D technology to visualize the Athenian temple’s interior lighting effects.
The study, supported by University College London and the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, demonstrates how the Parthenon’s architects harnessed the effects of natural and artificial light to shape the sensory experience of entering the temple. Among these design features were carefully positioned roof openings, interior water basins, strategically placed windows, and the reflective properties of finely polished marble.
Solar Alignment at the Athenian Temple
The cella of the Parthenon was specially constructed to accommodate the Athena Parthenos, a monumental chryselephantine sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena. The sculpture, which has since been lost, is attributed to the famed artist Phidias and dated to the mid-5th century BCE. It was an offering from the city of Athens to its patron deity.
De Lara’s study demonstrates that, for most of the year, the Parthenon remained dimly lit, and the light that entered did not typically reach higher than Athena’s waist. This meant that her ivory face most often appeared in shadow. However, the days surrounding the Panathenaic Festival—an annual procession honoring the goddess Athena—were a different story. On these dates, the rising sun aligned perfectly with the entrance to the Parthenon, casting a beam of light directly onto Athena’s golden robes, creating a shimmering effect throughout the temple.
This recurring spectacle of solar alignment not only reinforced the goddess’s sacred presence in the temple dedicated to her. It may have also served a practical function, marking important dates on the Athenian calendar.
“They Were Working With Special Effects in a Sense”
De Lara hopes his research will “spark the curiosity of the next archaeologist and lead to exciting new discoveries.” In a statement, he said, “Imagine entering the Parthenon—your eyes, still weary from the bright sun outside, slowly adjusting to the gradual darkness within. As sunlight filters through the temple’s doorway, it strikes the gold of the goddesses’ robes with a luminous vertical beam. This was the effect the architects and Phidias intended to create. It must have been magical.” Referring to the Parthenon’s ancient architects, de Lara added, “They were working with special effects in a sense.”
