Thursday, February 24, 2011

The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

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The 7 Wonders of the World (or the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World) refers to any of many lists of remarkable constructions of classical antiquity according to guidebooks common amongst the ancient Hellenic tourists, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. One of the most prominent of these, the versions by Antipater of Sidon and an observer identified as Philon of Byzantium, is composed of seven works situated around the Mediterranean rim. In turn, this original list has inspired innumerable versions by means of the ages, frequently in keeping with the limited number of seven entries. Of the original Seven Wonders, only one — the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is ironically the oldest of the ancient wonders—has remained relatively intact into the existing day.


7 wonders of the ancient world
The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World (from left to right, leading to bottom): Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, along with the Lighthouse of Alexandria as depicted by 16th-century Dutch artist Marten Heemskerk.

See the well-known Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Walk by way of the lush Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Climb the fantastic Lighthouse at Alexandria. Stand just before the immense statue of Zeus at Olympia. Marvel at the beauty of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

The ancient Greeks loved to compile lists of the marvelous structures in their world. Although we think of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as a single list today, there had been in fact quite a few lists compiled by different Greek writers. Antipater of Sidon, and Philon of Byzantium, drew up two of probably the most well-known lists.

Several of the lists agreed on six of the seven items. The final location on some lists was awarded to the Walls of the City of Babylon. On other people, the Palace of Cyrus, king of Persia took the seventh position. Finally, toward the 6th century A.D., the final item became the Lighthouse at Alexandria.

Since the it was Greeks who created the lists it is not unusal that a lot of of the items on them had been examples of Greek culture. The writers might have listed the Wonderful Wall of China if then had recognized about it, or Stonehenge if they’d seen it, but these locations had been beyond the limits of their world.

It is a surprise to many people to discover that not all of the Seven Wonders existed at the exact same time. Even if you lived in ancient times you’d have still necessary a time machine to see all seven. While the Great Pyramid of Egypt was built centuries just before the rest and is still around today (it is the only “wonder” still intact) most of the other people only survived several hundred years or much less. The Colossus of Rhodes stood only a little much more than half a century just before an earthquake toppled it.

Source:The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

 

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