Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity, first established in the 1572 publication '' Octo Mundi Miracula'' using a combination of historical sources.: "It is perhaps only with the execution of these drawings that the list became fixed for all time , but the details of each monument have been scrutinised ever since under the scientific eye of such scholars as Johann Fischer von Erlach.": "The 'canonical' list of the Seven Wonders that we use today was actually drawn up in the sixteenth century by Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck, who produced a set of drawings of the Seven Wonders compiled from his perusal of ancient authors. His list contained two statues, the Zeus from Olympia and the Colossus of Rhodes; two sets of tombs, the Pyramids of Egypt and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus; and several buildings, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Walls and Hanging Gardens of Babylon (counted as one 'wonder'), and the Lighthouse of Alexandria."

The seven traditional wonders are the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Using modern-day countries, two of the wonders were located in Greece, two in Turkey, two in Egypt, and one in Iraq. Of the seven wonders, only the Pyramid of Giza, which is also by far the oldest of the wonders, remains standing, while the others have been destroyed over the centuries. There is scholarly debate over the exact nature of the Hanging Gardens, and there is doubt as to whether they existed at all.

The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2nd–1st century BC, but this list differs from the canonical '' Octo Mundi Miracula'' version, as do the other known lists from classical sources.

Background

Alexander the Great's conquest of much of the western world in the 4th century BC gave Hellenistic travellers access to the civilizations of the Egyptians, Persians, and Babylonians. Impressed and captivated by the landmarks and marvels of the various lands, these travellers began to list what they saw to remember them.

Instead of "wonders", the ancient Greeks spoke of "''theamata''" (θεάματα), which means "sights", in other words "things to be seen" (Τὰ ἑπτὰ θεάματα τῆς οἰκουμένης �ῆς'). Later, the word for "wonder" ("''thaumata''" θαύματα, "wonders") was used. Hence, the list was meant to be the ancient world's counterpart of a travel guidebook.

Known lists

German classical scholar Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher's list of 18 known classical lists of wonders, both complete and incomplete, published in 1906, showed only two of the 18 lists being identical - and considered the second was simply a later copy of the first. None of the lists match the modern "canonical" seven. The 18 lists contain 82 names, with a total of 22 distinct buildings or places:

The first reference to a list of seven such monuments was given by Diodorus Siculus. The epigrammist Antipater of Sidon, who lived around or before 100 BC, gave a list of seven "wonders", including six of the present list (substituting the walls of Babylon for the Lighthouse of Alexandria):

Another ancient writer, who, perhaps dubiously, identified himself as Philo of Byzantium, wrote a short account entitled ''The Seven Sights of the World''. The surviving manuscript is incomplete, missing its last pages. Still, from the preamble text, it can be concluded that the list of seven sights exactly matches Antipater's (the preamble mentions the location of Halicarnassus, but the pages describing the seventh wonder, presumably the Mausoleum, are missing). Earlier and later lists by the historian Herodotus ( BC– BC) and the poet Callimachus of Cyrene (–240 BC), housed at the Museum of Alexandria, survive only as references.

The modern canonical list was first established in the 1572 publication '' Octo Mundi Miracula'' using a combination of historical sources.

Scope

The list covered only the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions, which then comprised the known world for the Greeks. The primary accounts from Hellenistic writers also heavily influenced the places included in the wonders list. Five of the seven entries are a celebration of Greek accomplishments in construction, the exceptions being the Pyramids of Giza and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

The Colossus of Rhodes was the last of the seven to be completed, after 280 BC, and the first to be destroyed, by an earthquake in 226/225 BC. It was therefore already in ruins by the time the list was compiled, and all seven wonders existed simultaneously for less than 60 years.

Influence

Arts and architecture

The seven canonical wonders won praises for their notable features, ranging from superlatives of the highest or largest of their types, to the artistry with which they were executed. Their architectural and artistic features were imitated throughout the Hellenistic world and beyond.

The Greek influence in Roman culture, and the revival of Greco-Roman artistic styles during the Renaissance caught the imagination of European artists and travellers. Paintings and sculptures alluding to the canonical list were made, while significant numbers of adventurers travelled to the actual sites to personally witness the wonders. Legends circulated to further complement the superlatives of the wonders.

Modern lists

Of the canonical wonders, the only one that has survived to the present day is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Its brilliant white stone facing had survived intact until around 1300 AD, when local communities removed most of the stonework for building materials. The existence of the Hanging Gardens has not been proven, though theories abound. Records and archaeology confirm the existence of the other five wonders. The Temple of Artemis and the Statue of Zeus were destroyed by fire, while the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus, and tomb of Mausolus were destroyed by earthquakes. Among the surviving artifacts are sculptures from the tomb of Mausolus and the Temple of Artemis, currently kept in the British Museum in London.

The listing of seven of the most marvellous architectural and artistic human achievements continued beyond the Ancient Greek times to the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and to the modern age. The Roman poet Martial and the Christian bishop Gregory of Tours had their versions. Reflecting the rise of Christianity and the factor of time, nature and the hand of man overcoming Antipater's seven wonders, Roman and Christian sites began to figure on the list, including the Colosseum, Noah's Ark, and Solomon's Temple. In the 6th century, a list of seven wonders was compiled by St. Gregory of Tours: the listClayton, Peter and Price, Martin: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Routledge, 1988), pp. 162–163. included the Temple of Solomon, the Pharos of Alexandria, and Noah's Ark.

Modern historians, working on the premise that the original Seven Ancient Wonders List was limited in its geographic scope, also had their versions to encompass sites beyond the Hellenistic realm—from the Seven Wonders of the ''Ancient World'' to the Seven Wonders of the ''World''. The "seven wonders" label has spawned innumerable versions among international organizations, publications and individuals based on different themes—works of nature, engineering masterpieces, constructions of the Middle Ages, etc. Its purpose has also changed from just a simple travel guidebook or a compendium of curious places to a list of sites to defend or preserve.

Canonical seven wonders

See also

* New 7 Wonders of the World, a campaign for people to vote and choose Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments.
* Eighth Wonder of the World, about attempted additions to the famous ancient list.
* Wonders of the World, about similar lists made throughout the ages.
* ''Seven Wonders of the World'' (1956 film)
* ''7 Wonders of the Ancient World'' (2007 video game)
* ''7 Wonders'' (2010 board game)
* ''Seven Wonders'' (2013 book series)

References

Further reading

* Clayton, Peter and Price, Martin, 1988, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Routledge.
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External links

"Seven Ancient Wonders of the World"
on The History Channel website. Also includes links to medieval, modern and natural wonders.
*Parkin, Tim
''Researching Ancient Wonders: A Research Guide''
from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. – a collection of books and Internet resources with information on seven ancient wonders.
"Eternal wonder of humanity's first great achievements"
by Jonathan Glancey in ''The Guardian'', 10 March 2007

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World

Ancient history
Former buildings and structures
Cultural lists
Ancient technology
History of construction

de:Weltwunder#Die sieben Weltwunder der Antike