| Have you ever seen a building or a sculpture and thought, "Wow! That is soo awesome! That must be one of the most amazing things ever!" You might wonder how on earth anyone thought of it, or how anyone made it. Maybe its size is so immense that you are in awe of it, or maybe it is made of such splendid jewels and gold that it dazzles and fascinates you. People all over the world are amazed by great works of art. In the past, during Greek and Roman times, there were seven of these works of art that completely captivated everyone. They made the "Grandest" list, and were called The Seven Wonders. Here is a little glimpse of each one, or what people think they looked like. All but one have disappeared or been ruined. As you look at each one, think about how they influenced modern architecture and art. The Pyramids at Giza 
These three pyramids are the oldest of the wonders, and they are the only wonder still visible today. They were built by three pharaohs of Egypt between 2690 and 2600 B.C. (the dates Before Christ count backward). These pharoahs, or king-gods, were named Cheops, Chefron, and Mykerinos. Pryamids like these are believed to have been the pharaohs' tombs, but we don't know if the kings were really buried there, or if they just liked big monuments so no one would forget them. If you want to see the pyramids today, you can travel to Egypt, to the Libyan Desert southwest of Cairo, to see them. Don't forget to visit the Great Sphinx while you're there! The Pharos Lighthouse  The Pharos Lighthouse was also in Egypt, on the coast of the Mediterranean in the city of Alexandria, the home of Cleopatra and one of the greatest artistic and educational centers of the ancient world. King Ptolemy II Philadelphus had it constructed in 280 B.C., and it cost the equivalent of over $3 million to build! A man named Sosatrus of Cnidus helped pay for the lighthouse. It stood 384 feet high and used mirrors and fires made of animal waste to guide ships into the harbor, much like todays lighthouses, but with smelly fires instead of electricity! Unfortunately, the lighthouse was destroyed in two earthquakes: one in 1303 A.D., and one in 1323 A.D.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon  The Hanging Gardens are said to have been built by the Babylonian king Neduchadnezzar II between 605 and 561 B.C. for his Median wife, Amytis, who missed the green forests of her homeland. It's easy to see how she would miss the greenery, since Babylon was located where modern Iraq now is! These gardens were built on the roofs of ziggurats, or pyramids with visible levels like steps instead of sleek sides. They were watered by an elaborate system of pipes that pulled water from the Euphrates river. Babylon and its Hanging Gardens was eventually ruined through wars over the years, and the area is still under seige.
The Masoleum of Halicarnassus  Once there was a king in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) named Mausolus. He was very much loved by his sister-wife, Artemisia (back then it was the custom for a noble to marry his sister). When Mausolus died, Artemisia mourned for him, and wanted to remember him in a spectacular way. So she commissioned the building of a grand tomb for him, which was built from 353 B.C. to 351 B.C. It was made of marble and had three sections: the base, or the tomb; the rows of columns above the tomb; and the pyramid roof (more like a ziggurat) that boasted a huge statue of Mausolus and Artemisia being pulled in a chariot by four horses. The monument was covered in magnificent sculptures and reliefs, or sculptures in the sides of walls, and lots of people came to see it until an earthquake in 1404 A.D. toppled it to the ground. You can still see Mausolus and Artemisia, however, looking over the ruins of their monument, in the British Museum, where the ruins of the huge sculpture and bits of the architecture are housed. Mausolus' tomb was so stunning that today tombs are now called "mausoleums," even if they aren't so grand as his.
The Artemesion  This is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, also located in Turkey. Artemis was a Greek goddess who oversaw wild animals, hunting, and childbirth. She was also the twin sister of the god Apollo. Artemis worship was a big deal in Ephesus. For those of you who remember the New Testament story of the spread of Christianity, this is the place where riots broke out, and the chant, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" rang in the streets as people protested the missionaries. Perhaps the size of this temple will give you an idea of how important Artemis was to the Ephesians. Her statue was housed inside it, and craftsmen made a lot of money off of tourists by selling tiny versions of that statue. Artemis not only meant safe childbirth and good hunting, but a good economy as well! The temple was made completely of marble, with a wood and tile roof, elegant relief sculptures, and bright paint to set it off. It was destroyed seven times, and rebuilt in the same place seven times. The most interesting destruction of the temple occurred the night Alexander the Great was born: July 21, 365 B.C. Some say that Artemis was too busy attending to his birth to save her temple! The Artemesion was finally ruined (and not rebuilt) by Goths in 262 A.D.
The Colossus at Rhodes 
Here is how one artist pictures the Colossus at Rhodes. Rhodes is a small island at the intersection of the Agean and Mediterranean Seas, but it boasted one of the largest sculptures in the world. The Colossus, or giant, stood 110 feet high, and was made of stone, marble, and an outer layer of bronze, so that it gleamed in the sun. It was made in thanksgiving to Helios, the sun god, for aiding Rhodes in conquering an army much larger than they. In fact, the bronze used to cover the statue was melted down from the enemy's weapons! The statue was made over a span of years from 304 B.C. to 292 B.C. During an earthquake in 226 B.C., it toppled to the ground, where it lay until A.D. 654, when Arabs plundered it and sold it bit by bit as scrap metal. Notice the stance of the statue, and the crown in particular. Does it remind you of another statue? It should, for it influenced the work of the designer of the American Statue of Liberty! The Statue of Zeus at Olympia  
The last of the seven ancient wonders is the statue of Zeus at Olympia, where the Olympic Games began. Zeus was the "king" of the Greek gods, and his statue was housed in the Temple of Zeus. He was made of gold, ivory, jewels, and ebony, and he was so large that the historian Strabo remarked that if he stood up, he would stand up through the roof of the temple! There are two pictures of the statue here because one shows best how he would break a hole in the roof if he stood up, and the other shows how shiny and magnificent he must have appeared to those who came to worship. Zeus' statue was 40 feet high, on a 3 foot high base, and he held a sceptre in one hand and Nike, the symbol of victory, in the other hand. He was built by the sculptor Pheidas in 440 B.C. Since most of these ancient wonders no longer exist, people have come up with a list of modern marvels. The list is being revised, and you can read about it here. Then you can go and vote or your own modern favorite! |
