Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
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The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is a well known list of seven remarkable manmade constructions of classical antiquity. It was based on guide-books popular among Hellenic (Greek) tourists and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim. Later lists include those for the Medieval World and the Modern World. The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it to be magical.[1]
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[edit] The Seven Ancient Wonders
The historian Herodotus (484 BC–ca. 425 BC), and the architect Callimachus of Cyrene (ca 305–240 BC) at the Museum of Alexandria, made early lists of "seven wonders" but their writings have not survived, except as references. The earliest extant version of a list of seven wonders was compiled by Antipater of Sidon, who described the structures in a poem around 140 BC:
I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the Colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, 'Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand.'
– Antipater, Greek Anthology IX.58
A later list, under various titles such as De septem orbis spactaculis and traditionally misattributed to the engineer Philo of Byzantium, may date as late as the fifth century AD, though the author writes as if the Colossus of Rhodes were still standing.
These are given in the table below:[1]
| Wonder | Date of construction | Builder | Notable features | Date of destruction | Cause of destruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Pyramid of Giza | 2584-2561 BC | Egyptians | Built as the tomb of fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. | Still standing | N/A |
| Hanging Gardens of Babylon | 605-562 BC | Babylonians | Diodorus Siculus described multi-levelled gardens reaching 22 metres (75 feet) high, complete with machinery for circulating water. Large trees grew on the roof.built by Nebuchadnezzar II for his median wife Amytis of Media | After 1st century BC | Earthquake |
| Statue of Zeus at Olympia | 466-456 BC(Temple) 435 BC(Statue) | Greeks | Occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet (12 meters) tall. | 5th-6th centuries AD | Unknown, presumed destroyed by fire or earthquake. |
| Temple of Artemis at Ephesus | c. 550 BC | Lydians, Persians, Greeks | Dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis, it took 120 years to build. Herostratus burned it down in an attempt to achieve lasting fame. Rebuilt by Alexander the Great only to be destroyed again by the Goths. | 356 BC(by Herostratus) AD 409 (by the Goths) |
Arson, Plundering |
| Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus | 351 BC | Persians, Greeks | Stood approximately 45 meters (135 feet) tall with each of the four sides adorned with sculptural reliefs. Origin of the word mausoleum.a tomb built for Mausolus, a satrap in the Persian Empire | by AD 1494 | Damaged by an earthquake and eventually disassembled by European Crusaders. |
| Colossus of Rhodes | 292-280 BC | Greeks | A giant statue of the Greek god Helios, c. 35m (110 ft) tall. | Toppled by an earthquake in 226 BC, with the bronze scrap removed in 654. | Earthquake |
| Lighthouse of Alexandria | c. 280 BC | Hellenistic Egypt | Between 115 and 135 meters (383 - 440 ft) tall it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries. | AD 1303-1480 | Earthquake |
The Greek category was not "Wonders" but theamata, which translates closer to "must-sees". The list that we know today was compiled in the Middle Ages—by which time many of the sites were no longer in existence. Since the list came mostly from ancient Greek writings, only sites that would have been known and visited by the ancient Greeks were included. Even as early as 1600 BC, tourist graffiti was scrawled on monuments in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings.
Antipater's original list replaced the Lighthouse of Alexandria with the Ishtar Gate. It was not until the 6th century that the above list was developed. Of these wonders, the only one that has survived to the present day is the Great Pyramid of Giza. The existence of the Hanging Gardens has not been proven while records confirm that the other five wonders used to exist. The Temple of Artemis and the Statue of Zeus were destroyed by fire, while the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Colossus, and Mausoleum of Maussollos were destroyed by earthquakes. There are sculptures from the Mausoleum of Maussollos and the Temple of Artemis in the British Museum in London.
[edit] See also
- Wonders of the World, about similar lists made throughout the ages.
- Eighth Wonder of the World, about attempted additions to the famous ancient list.
[edit] Further reading
- D'Epiro, Peter, and Mary Desmond Pinkowish, "What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? and 100 Other Great Cultural Lists". Anchor. December 1, 1998. ISBN 0-385-49062-3
[edit] External links
- The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — an in-depth look from a professor of civil engineering at the American University in Dubai
- Image of the Seven Wonder locations
- Livius.org: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Video about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a virtual satellite tour made with Google Earth [02:34]
- Parkin, Tim, Researching Ancient Wonders: A Research Guide, from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. - a collection of books and Internet resources with in-depth information on seven ancient wonders.
- Google Maps 7 Ancient Wonders of the World
- "Eternal wonder of humanity's first great achievements", by Jonathan Glancey in The Guardian, March 10, 2007
- Seven Wonders Suite for Orchestra — A symphonic suite inspired by the seven ancient monuments by UK composer Stuart Mitchell - The Prague Symphony Orchestra
[edit] References
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