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Why are the Parthenon’s corner columns thicker than its other columns?

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The Parthenon temple in Athens, Greece, is illuminated at night, showing its iconic Doric columns and partially ruined structure atop the Acropolis. — Parthenon Night view of the Parthenon, Athens.

The corner columns of the Parthenon are made thicker than the other columns to counteract an optical illusion. When viewed from certain angles against the sky, columns can appear thinner than they actually are; by increasing the diameter of the four corner columns, the architects were able to correct this visual distortion and maintain the building's appearance of perfect symmetry and proportion.12