The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
A Guide to the List of the Most Amazing Buildings Compiled in 225 BC
Feb 2, 2009
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a well known list of locations that was compiled around 200 BC by Philo of Byzantium. It is not the only list, with others being made both before and after Philo's version. But most of them survive only as references.
The list is also the subject of a poem written by Antipater of Sidon around 140 BC.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The complex pyramids at Giza are the only objects on the list which still exist today. The Great Pyramid was built by the Egyptians around 2500 BC over a 20 year period, and was built as a tomb for the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu.
It stood 146 metres tall, but with erosion over time, it now stands under 140 metres. The total mass of the Great Pyramid is estimated to be about 5.9 million tonnes.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The gardens were built around 600 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife Amytis of Media. The gardens, which were constructed on a number of levels, reached over 22 metres high and also had machinery, which was reportedly similar to Archimedes' Screw that circulated water around the gardens.
The gardens were destroyed around the second century BC by a series of earthquakes.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The statue of Zeus at Olympia was built around 432 BC by the Greek sculptor Phidias. The statue was 12 metres tall and made of ivory and bronze. The statue held a the goddess Nike, and in his left hand, he held a sceptre.
It is not definitely known how the statue, and the temple around it, was destroyed, but it is thought that it was destroyed in a fire in 425 AD.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis, was a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis who was the goddess of virginity and hunting.
It was built circa 500 BC and made of marble. It took 120 years to construct and Herostratus burnt it down in an attempt to gain fame. It was rebuilt by Alexander the Great, but was destroyed for a second time by the Goths around 409 AD.
Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
The mausoleum was built as a tomb for Mausolus. It was designed by Satyrus and Pythius who were Greek architects.
It stood about 45 metres tall and each of its sides was covered in reliefs.
It was also the origin for the word "mausoleum" that is used today to generally refer to a grand tomb. The mausoleum was initially damaged by earthquakes and then disassembled by European crusaders before 1494 AD.
Collossus of Rhodes
The Collossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek God, Helios. It was built of the island of Rhodes by Charles of Lindos in 280 BC. It stood around 35 metres tall and made of iron and bronze. The statue stood on a 15 metre high marble pedestal at the mouth of the harbour.
After only 56 years, the statue was felled by an earthquake 226 BC. The statue is recorded to have snapped at the knees, and toppled into the harbour.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The royal Lighthouse of Alexandria was the largest library in the ancient world. Not much is known about the library but it is thought to have been founded at the beginning of the third century BC. It was opened during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter,
Some sources have said that the library contained around one million scrolls.
It is not known exactly when it was destroyed, but many people think that a fire in 48 BC caused the destruction of the library.
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