The 7 Wonders of the World - Report Example

The Seven Wonders of the World The Seven Wonders of the World is an often-used phrase, but little is generally known about the actual list amongst the general populace. People might be able to come up with one or two of the structures included on the list, but probably don’t realize the status of these constructions or the history behind them. Although several lists of man-made wonders have been constructed throughout the centuries, the one typically recognized as the official list is comprised of structures that existed only in ancient times, most having disappeared by the Middle Ages when the list was finally compiled based upon the writings of the ancient Greeks (Prifogle, 2004). “[The list] was based on guide-books popular among Hellenic sight-seers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim” (“Seven Wonders”, 2006). The seven wonders of the ancient world are listed as the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse at Alexandria. Of these, only the Great Pyramid still exists today (Krystek, 2003). “For their builders, the Seven Wonders were a celebration of religion, mythology, art, power, and science. For us, they reflect the ability of humans to change the surrounding landscape by building massive yet beautiful structures” (Ashmawy, 2000). While almost none of these structures can be visited today, a closer look what is known about them can inspire some of the same wonder and fascination experienced by those who saw them first-hand. The Great Pyramid at Giza, the only one of the seven great wonders still standing, demonstrates an amazing attention to precision, even by today’s standards and with modern equipment. According to Andrew Bayuk (2005), the base of the pyramid is level to less than an inch and the sides measure almost equal lengths, with fluctuations at less than 1.75 inches. While it seems general knowledge that the average weight of the blocks is approximately 2.5 tons, Bayuk provides more precise detail. “Many blocks are indeed smaller than this, the blocks toward the top decrease in size. Some of the casing stones at the base are very large, weighing as much as 15 tons. The heaviest blocks are the granite blocks used to roof the king’s chambers and the weight relieving chambers above the king’s chamber. These are estimated to weigh from 50 to 80 tons” (Bayuk, 2005). While it has been widely believed that the construction of the pyramid was carried out by slaves, Andrew Millmore indicates that this is not true. “One hundred thousand people worked on it for three months of each year. This was the time of the Nile’s annual flood which made it impossible to farm the land and most of the population was unemployed” (Millmore, 1997). By providing employment for these people, Khufu ensured that his subjects ate and had good clothing, for which he was kindly remembered in Egyptian folktales. Although there has been some doubt as to whether the Hanging Gardens of Babylon ever actually existed, an archaeologist working on the Babylon ruins in the early 1900s “discovered a basement with fourteen large rooms with stone arch ceilings. Ancient records indicated that only two locations in the city had made use of stone, the north wall of the Northern Citadel and the Hanging Gardens. The north wall of the Northern Citadel had already been found and had, indeed, contained stone” (Krystek, 1998a). This discovery has been called into question because of its far proximity to the Euphrates, which would have made it difficult to pull the necessary water from the river up to irrigate the upper levels of the gardens, but many of the other described features were in evidence. The hanging gardens are believed to have actually been overhanging gardens, planted on the roofs of successively taller tiers or buildings and allowed to hang over the edges so as to give the appearance of a natural mountain. According to ancient sources cited by Robin Fowler (n.d.), “Nebuchadnezzar had the Hanging Gardens built around 600 BC for his wife, Amytis. … Amytis was homesick for her verdant and mountainous home, and quite depressed living in the flat and arid Babylon. So, an elaborate garden was constructed to replicate her lush homeland and cheer her up.” The statue of Zeus at Olympia was, to the ancient Greeks, nothing less than the material incarnation of the great God, who supposedly used the temple as his earthbound home when visitors were not in attendance (Berg, 2004). The 50-foot high seated figure of the God was made of ivory to denote his flesh and gold to indicate his hair, beard and drapery and just barely fit within the confines of the temple (Hillman, 2006). The statue, created by Phidias in about 450 BC, contained a great deal of symbolism as well (Hillman, 2006). This included an intricately carved cedarwood throne depicting many mythical scenes of gods and heroes, a scepter crowned with an eagle’s head to symbolize his rule over the earth and a life-sized statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. According to Berg (2004), the ivory portions of the statue had to be anointed regularly with olive oil in order to keep them from cracking as they were exposed to the outdoor atmosphere. As a result, a pool of olive oil was kept at the statue’s feet. Through this awesome presence, it was considered almost necessary for all Greeks to view the statue at least once in their lives. Although the temple is believed to have been destroyed by earthquakes, landslides, fire and floor following its classification as a pagan site in the fifth century AD, the statue itself, recognized as a supreme work of art, had been moved to Constantinople prior to these occurrences. Yet, it, too, was destroyed during the fifth century AD, caught in a severe fire that burned much of the city in 462 (ThinkQuest Team A, 2006). The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was designed by the then-famous sculptor Scopas of Paros and reportedly took approximately 84 years to complete beginning in 334 BC (“Temple of Artemis”, 2006). It was constructed on top of at least six other temples that had existed previously in a swampy area near a river, with each succeeding temple demonstrating greater and greater wealth expended. The building is considered to be among the first constructed entirely with marble and included 36 columns decorated along their lower portions with high relief figures (Krystek, 1998b). Pliny recorded the buildings dimensions as 425 feet long and 225 feet wide with 127 columns 60 feet in height to support the massive roof which was somewhat supported when the remaining foundations of the building were discovered in 1869 (Krystek, 1998b). These dimensions would have dwarfed the Parthenon. Like the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis became not only a religious center, but a civic one as well with evidence that tourist items of the temple were sold but also that priceless offerings were made from as far away as Persia and India (“Temple of Artemis”, 2006). The temple was destroyed by the Goths in 262 and was never rebuilt. The building materials were eventually used by the local populace for other structures and many of the remaining statues were ground to powder to make lime for wall plaster (Krystek, 1998b). The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built beginning in 353 BC to honor Maussolus, a satrap (or governor) who led the city to its greatest prosperity (Lethaby, 1908). Although the actual building was constructed with bricks, this structure was then covered with white Proconnesian marble. The building itself was gorgeously decorated with ornate capitals, statues and reliefs at all levels of the structure while the roof was reminiscent of the pyramids of Egypt. “There were tens of life-sized as well as under and over life-sized free-standing statues of people, lions, horses and other animals” (Mazdak, 2006). The step-pyramid roof contained its own statuary as well, a chariot pulled by four horses carrying the King Mausolus and his queen to their next journey, which made the building reach as high as a modern 14 story building (Hillman, 2006a). “Vitruvius records that the architect responsible for the Mausoleum was Pytheos, the designer of the Athena temple at Priene and that the reliefs with which the memorial was embellished were the works of the greatest sculptors of the time such as: Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas, and Timotheus, each was responsible for one side of the mausoleum” (Mazdak, 2006). Like several of the other great wonders, the mausoleum was destroyed by earthquakes striking the region, finally falling completely in 1400 AD. The Colossus of Rhodes was the original inspiration for the Statue of Liberty that stands in New York Harbor today. The statue was constructed as a celebration of victory and was built to honor the Rhodian sun god, Helios. The inhabitants of the island city melted down the abandoned war equipment of their enemies to get the bronze used in the statue and they reportedly used the super siege tower erected by the invading Demetrius as a scaffolding (Krystek, 1998c). “The project was commissioned by the Rhodian sculptor Chares of Lindos. … The base was made of white marble, and the feet and ankle of the statue were first fixed” (Krystek, 1998c). The date of the beginning of the project is somewhat obscure, but it was supposedly finished in 12 years and stood for approximately 50 before an earthquake forced a break at the figure’s weakest point, the knees (Ashmawy, 2004). At its completion, the statue stood approximately 110 feet high and was so large that reports written after it fell indicated few people could reach their arms all the way around the figure’s thumb (Ashmawy, 2004). Although offers were made to help repair the statue, the ruins were left to lie where they fell upon the advice of an oracle. It wasn’t until 654 AD that invading Arabs finally removed all traces of the Colossus as they sold the materials to Syria (Ashmawy, 2004). The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built around 270 BC and stood about 400 feet high when it was completed, the tallest building in existence at the time (“The Pharos”, 1997). According to Jimmy Dunn (2003), the lighthouse was constructed with three tiers, each of a different shape. The first tier was quadrangular, the second octagonal and the third cylindrical. “The approach to its entrance was by way of a long ramp with vaulted arcades. Within, an apparently large spiral ramp led to some fifty service rooms and also allowed pack animals to bring firewood up to the third tier to feed the fire that acted as the light source” (Dunn, 2003). The lighthouse is believed to have been destroyed by earthquakes, with 22 recorded between 320 and 1303 in the Alexandria basin that were strong enough to have been discussed in writing (Clement, 1998). Although there were numerous restoration efforts made to the lighthouse, the top story was lost in 796, cracks began appearing in the main body between 950 and 956 and more masonry was lost in 1261. The lighthouse was in ruins by 1349 and its remaining blocks are believed to have been used in the construction of a fort on the site in the 15th century (Clement, 1998). However, ruins of those portions of the lighthouse that fell into the sea were discovered in 1995 when it was hoped that recovery efforts might reveal more about the original structure (Young, 1995). Works Cited Ashmawy, Alaa. “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” WonderClub. (2000). December 31, 2006 Ashmawy, Alaa. “The Colossus of Rhodes.” The Seven Wonders. (2004). December 31, 2006 < http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/colossus.html> Bayuk, Andrew. “The Great Pyramid: The Pyramid of Khufu.” Guardian’s Giza. (2005). December 31, 2006 Berg, Christopher. “The Statue of Zeus at Olympia.” Amazing Art. (2004). December 31, 2006 < http://www.amazeingart.com/seven-wonders/statue-zeus.html> Clement, Colin. “The Pharos of Alexandria.” Greece: Alexandria. (1998). The Hellenic Electronic Center. (1998). December 31, 2006 Dunn, Jimmy. “Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria.” Tour Egypt. (2003). December 31, 2006 Fowler, Robin. “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” Suite 101. (n.d.). December 31, 2006 Hillman, Howard. “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.” Seven Wonders of the World. (2006a). December 31, 2006 Hillman, Howard. “Statue of Zeus at Olympia.” Seven Wonders of the World. (2006b). December 31, 2006 Krystek, Lee. “The Colossus of Rhodes.” Unmuseum. (1998c). December 31, 2006 Krystek, Lee. “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” Unmuseum. (1998a). December 31, 2006 < http://www.unmuseum.org/hangg.htm> Krystek, Lee. “The Temple of Artemis.” Unmuseum. (1998b). December 31, 2006 Krystek, Lee. “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Tours.” Time Traveler Tours. (2003). Unmuseum. December 31, 2006 Lethaby, W.R. The Tomb of Mausolus. London: B.T. Batsford, 1908. Mazdak. “The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.” Iran Zamin. (2006). December 31, 2006 < http://ancientiran.blogspot.com/2006/03/mausoleum-of-halicarnassus.html> Millmore, Mark. “The Pyramids at Giza.” Egyptian Pyramids. (1997). December 31, 2006 “(The) Pharos of Alexandria.” CNN Destinations. (1997). CNN Network. December 31, 2006 Prifogle, Ed. “The Ancient, Modern and Natural Wonders of the World (Re-visited).” Military Hops Gazette. Vol. 1, I. 11a, (March 6, 2004). “Seven Wonders of the World.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (December 31, 2006). Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. December 31, 2006 . “Temple of Artemis.” Kusadasi. (2006). December 31, 2006 ThinkQuest Team A. “The Statue of Zeus at Olympia.” The Ancient Wonders of the World. (2006). December 31, 2006 Young, Gale. “Divers Recover Ancient Wonders.” CNN. (October 4, 1995). December 31, 2006 Read More