Probably the main reason is that it was neither the largest nor the most famous Greek temple. The temple of Artemis at Ephesos, the temple of Hera on Samos and even the temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens were all significantly larger; the first of these actually was among the Seven Wonders of the World. However, all three of these temples were almost completely destroyed, while the Parthenon is reasonably well preserved. Its picturesque and symbolic location on top of the Akropolis at Athens has given it a prominence in the modern image of Ancient Greece that it didn't really have at the time.

It is possible that the Parthenon also didn't qualify because it was a symbol of Athenian imperial power, paid for by the tribute of Athens' subjects in the mid-5th century BC. By rebuilding the Parthenon, Athens broke the oath sworn by the Delian League that it would never rebuild the temples that were destroyed by the Persians. Stories of corruption and embezzlement tied to the temple and Perikles may have further stained its image. By comparison, works like the temple of Artemis at Ephesos or the statue of Zeus at Olympia were relatively 'neutral', panhellenic achievements.