Wonders of the Ancient World - Research Paper Example

Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the World, also referred to as the 7 wonders of the ancient world is referent to the remarkable during the classical antiquity period and listed by authors in popular guidebooks found among Hellenic tourists. This was especially in the 1st and 2nd centuries B.C. The versions from Antipater of Sidon, as well as Philo of Byzantium, an observer from the ancient times, comprise of seven works that are found the Mediterranean rim to the east. The original version birthed numerous versions over time, usually naming seven entries. Of all the seven wonders originally listed, only the great pyramid of Giza, which is also the oldest, is still relatively in place. These Seven Wonders of the World include the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis, the Hanging gardens of Babylon and the Great Pyramid of Giza. This paper will discuss firstly, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, secondly, the Colossus of Rhodes, thirdly, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and lastly, the Statue of Zeus. The Lighthouse of Alexandria The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located in the port of Alexandria by Jean-Yves Empereur, a French archaeologist between 1994 and 1996 (Yansky 12). The monument is one of the most ancient known. It is also part of the most represented monuments, given its position as probably the first lighthouse in the world. Indeed, souvenir objects have been found with reproductions of the lighthouse’s image in Afghanistan. The lighthouse is to be found on the island of the Pharaohs in Egypt in front of Alexandria. Over the centuries, the island connected to the continent via the alluviums of the Nile. On this alluvium, was built a bridge and a road. Ptolemy II Philadelphus started the lighthouse with Sostratus of Cnidus completing it around the year 280 B.C (Yansky 12). The lighthouse was composed of three floors. The first floor had a square shape; the second floor was octagonal in shape while the third had a cylindrical shape (Yansky 13). The entire white marble approximately measured one hundred and thirty five meters of height, through which one could see ships coming from a distance of one hundred miles. Bronze tritons were used to decorate angles, and they were used to warn either of the impending attack by enemies via terrifying sounds, as well as carry mirrors that were used to reflect fire light during the night to guide ships. During the day, smoke indicators guided ships to the port’s entrance. The Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue that was representative of the Greek sun god, Helios. It was built by Charas of Lindos as a commemoration of the end of the city’s seat that took place into the year 305 B.C, as well as the Rhodiens victory against Demetrios Poliorcete, the Macedonian chief. The colossus was located in Rhodes, Greece and was probably located at the current saint-Nicolas day Mole (Yansky 15). Some marble blocks have been found in the site that, for instance, could have been used to as material for construction of the statue’s base. The colossus was built between 303 and 291 B.C., taking 12 years of hard work to complete totally. Built from bronze with a marble rock base, the statue stood at thirty-two meters high from the foot to the top of the head, i.e. fourteen meters less than New York’s statue of liberty. This height allowed the statue to be sighted by all ships that approached the port. The sun god, in his raised arm, held a torch with his other arm clutching a lance. Unlike illustrations normally found in common literature, ships did not sail, between the colossus’ legs, to enter the wearing of Rhodes (Yansky 16). Technically, it was impossible that the statue had split legs. In the year 225 B.C., the statue was partially destroyed by a strong earthquake. In the year 653 A.D., all material, measuring over seven tons of iron, thirteen tons of bronze, were taken by an expedition led by Arabs and were sold to a Jewish trader in Ephesea. The colossus had only been standing for a period of sixty-five years. The mausoleum at Halicarnassus The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a monumental grave that was located in Turkey’s Southwest region, in the city of Bodrum, at that time referred to as Halicarnassus. The king of Carie, Mausole, lived here and was also a satrap to the Persian king, to whom Carie belonged to. It is said that Artemis began the edifice’s construction in the year 353 B.C., 3 years following the king’s death as an honour to the king (Yansky 25). This mausoleum ended a whole year after this woman, Artemis, died. Measuring a total height of approximately forty-three meters, the mausoleum sustained by thirty-six columns while surmounted using a pyramid that was decorated with marble of one quadriga (Yansky 25). The funeral chamber contained, without doubt, the graves of Artemis and Mausole. A valuable frieze can also be observed representing a fight among the Greeks, Centaurs and the Amazons. A strong earthquake around the fourteenth century destroyed the mausoleum of Halicarnassus partially. Sometime later, the Malta knights decided to create a fortress by using the mausoleums stones and by the year 1552, not one stone remained. Today, the fortress can now be viewed in the city of Bodrum. Statue of Zeus The Statue of Zeus was a colossal statue that was representative of Zeus, the Greek god of heaven. The statue was ordered in the year 450 B.C. by the inhabitants of Olympia to Phidias, an Athenian sculptor (Yansky 40). The residents wanted to decorate the old town’s temple. The statue was located on Greece’s west coast at Olympia. This city, in the antiquity, was a place of a cult that contained many treasures of Greek art including statues, theaters, altars, monuments, temples as well as bronze or marble votive offerings. The statue was realized with ivory and gold, and measured twelve meters in height and had a base measuring two meters. The statue’s base measured six meters wide and one meter in height. The perimeter of the statue measured thirteen meters or forty-three feet. This statue almost touched the temple’s ceiling while, on the other hand, the throne had gold, ebony, ivory, and precious stones as decorations (Yansky 40). Zeus was seated in position holding the goddess of victory, Nike, in its right hand while, on the other hand, a scepter with an eagle. The statue’s throne was decorated using mythological scenes with relief sculptures, which notably evoked the murder of the Thebes queen and the sons of Niobe. Works Cited Yansky, Brian. Wonders of the world. Woodbury: Flux, 2007. Print. Read More