When Plato theorized on the golden ratio, he mused that if a line divided something into two portions, one larger and the other smaller, then the two parts would have a proportional relationship with each other and even a larger whole if the larger piece related to its larger whole the same way the smaller piece related to the larger piece. This concept was manifested in art and architecture like the bands of sculpture above the Parthenon's columns that Phidias created.
Greek classical beauty upheld elements of harmony, rhythm and balance. Artists and architects incorporated symmetry, repetition and proportional measurements to achieve those ideals. Nature motifs like rosettes were common in architecture, but always harnessed with a strict balance. Greeks also took two opposite motifs and married them with proportion and repetition, like egg and dart.
Ancient Greece held the human figure as one of the highest forms of beauty. Gods were personified in sculptures that focused on the human figure, especially in action. Artists created pieces that depicted a person or deity with an ideal body, muscular and proportional, often with the torso turned in a counterpoised position to show the muscles in use and to create visual equilibrium -- a perfect balance of opposing forces. Stoic expressions were seen as noble and favorable, so beautiful subjects typically had neutral facial expressions.
The Greeks' love for the human figure showed in their fashions and personal beauty practices. Clothing was meticulously draped and weighted to reveal the body in the most flattering way possible. Proper draping and weighting signaled high social status. Intricate gold jewelry adorned Greeks. Harmony and balance were seen even in clothing, as one or both shoulders might be clasped with a fibula and bordered on all sides to unify the look.