The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Today the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worlds is just a memory and mystery we talk of. However, in the ancient times, these wonders were human pride and magnitude personified. Today we have no more than ruins left, with only one exclusion of the Great Pyramid of Gize, surviving the test of time. For ancient people those constructions testified to their power, wealth and greatness.
Today not everyone could name all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worlds, while back then those wonders had to be studied in school and memorized. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worlds included the Great Pyramid of Gize, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes and The Pharos of Alexandria.
This first list of the wonders of the world was compiled in the 3rd century B.C. Its authorship is ascribed to Antipater of Sidon, the Greek poet. The first list included only three wonders. Later on this list was changed and the one we have now was put together in the Middle Ages. Then most of the wonders of the world no longer existed. The oldest one of the seven wonders is the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was built in 2550 B.C. The most recent one is the Colossus of Rhodes. It was erected around 280 B.C.
Most of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worlds were created by Greek artists or architects. The only exclusion of these are the Great Pyramid of Gize, built by Egyptians and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The glory of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worlds has passed long ago, but its memory still stirs our hearts and amazes our minds.
The Colossus of Rhodes
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The history of the Colossus of Rhodes is the history of great rise and great fall. The Colossus was acknowledged to be one of the 7 wonders of the world. And, it was the wonder, which lasted for the shortest period of time. It got destroyed in about 60 years after its erection. The Colossus of Rhodes was located on the Greek island Rhodes, which is situated near Turkey. This grand statue was constructed in the 3rd century B.C. Its erection was inspired by the victory over the Antigonus I Monophthalmus, who was the Cypriot king. He held a siege of the Rhodes city, but was not able to conquer it and fled. He left behind many of this assault machines, which were used by Rhodes citizens as materials for statue.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
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There are many wonders in this world, created by God and nature, but the 7 ancient wonders, created by human kind are especially impressive. Today, most of us cannot even imagine how those people could manage to build such extraordinary constructions as Colossus of Rhodes or the Great Pyramid of Giza. They did not have any industrial era equipment to help them manage the task, but the size and scale of those constructions are amazing.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
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For the long time some of the 7 wonders of the world were considered as myths. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is one of such wonders. For many centuries even the very existence of the ancient city of Babylon was questioned. Historians believed it was no more than a myth, described in various documents and the Bible. In fact, this was one of the arguments against Christianity. However, in the 19th century the city of Babylon was discovered and excavated by the English archeologist Robert Koledewey.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
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The story of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus construction is the story of great love and sorrow. This mausoleum is the fifth of the 7 wonders of the world. There is another one of the wonders, such as Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which was inspired by love. However, that was love of a man and king for his wife and princess. In the case of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, it is the love of a woman for her husband and brother.
The Pharos of Alexandria
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The Pharos of Alexandria is the seventh wonder of the world. It was situated in ancient city of Alexandria. This city is located in Egypt. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great and named after its founder. For over 7 centuries Alexandria was a capital of Egypt. It was well known for its library and the great men, who studied there. This amazing lighthouse stood on the island called Pharos. That is how it came by its name. The Pharos of Alexandria was finished up in the 3rd century B.C. This was a grand tower, which for many centuries was acknowledged to be the tallest building erected by men. It surpassed all the other ancient lighthouses by its height. It was little over 400 feet high. The exact height is not known. There are many disputes as to who was its architect of this tower, but some historians believe it was Sostratus. The lighthouse was located at Pharos. The island was connected to the main land by the manmade link. It was raised among the waters of the sea and it showed the way to the harbor for many ships. The Pharos of Alexandria had three ‘stories’. Its foundation was square, its walls were 28 feet thick. The walls had small windows in them, which were also used as embrasures. The entire first floor of The Pharos of Alexandria was used as a fortress.
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
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In Greek mythology, Zeus was the chief of the pantheon of other gods. He dwelt on the mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. The city Olympia was situated near by and its citizens decide to put up a magnificent temple for their god. This was a large scale project. And it rightfully deserved to take its place in the 7 miracle of the world list. The temple of Zeus in Olympia was huge as for the accomplishments of the ancient world. It was 65 ft high, which equals to 8 floor building. It was 210 ft long and 92 ft wide. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was also about 60 feet high (46 ft according to some documents) and it almost reached the ceiling. The statue was described by the ancient geographer Strabo, who stated that it seemed like Zeus would unroof the shrine, if he were to stand up in it. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was constructed by Phidias, famous Greek sculptor. It dates to 432 B.C. As it was already mentioned that the Statue of Zeus at Olympia was described by Strabo, Greek historian and geographer. It was also described in detail by Pausanias, famous traveler.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
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The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus is listed among one of the 7 wonders of the world. Even though the temple was huge and amazing construction, its history is somewhat comical and tragic at the same time. No one really knows, when the very first Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built. It was sometime back in bronze age and the ancient documents refer to it as to the Amazon temple. Artemis or else known as Diana, was the goddess of fecundity, wild nature, moon and hunting. She was also a patroness of pregnant women. According to Greek mythology, Diana was the daughter of Zeus.