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The Seven Wonders

Definition

by Joshua J. Mark
published on 02 September 2009
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were:

the Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt

the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece
the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
the Colossus of Rhodes
the Lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt
The Seven Wonders were first defined as themata (Greek for 'things to be seen which,
in todays common English, we would phrase as 'must sees) by Philo of Byzantium in
225 BCE, in his work On The Seven Wonders. Other writers on the Seven Wonders
include Herodotus, Callimachus of Cyrene and Antipater of Sidon. Of the original
seven, only the Great Pyramid exists today.

GREAT PYRAMID AT GIZA

The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed between 2584 and 2561 BCE for the
Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (known in Greek as `Cheops') and was the tallest man-made
structure in the world for almost 4,000 years. Excavations of the interior of the pyramid
were only initiated in earnest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries CE and so the
intricacies of the interior which so intrigue modern people were unknown to the ancient
writers. It was the structure itself with its perfect symmetry and imposing height which
impressed ancient visitors.

Sphinx and Khephren Pyramid

HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, if they existed as described, were built
by Nebuchadnezzar II between 605-562 BCE as a gift to his wife. They are described by
the ancient writer Diodorus Siculus as being self-watering planes of exotic flora and
fauna reaching a height of over 75 feet (23 metres) through a series of climbing terraces.
Diodorus wrote that Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amtis of Media, missed the mountains
and flowers of her homeland and so the king commanded that a mountain be created
for her in Babylon. The contoversy over whether the gardens existed comes from the
fact that they are nowhere mentioned in Babylonian history and that Herodotus, `the
Father of History', makes no mention of them in his descriptions of Babylon. There are
many other ancient facts, figures, and places Herodotus fails to mention, however, or
has been shown to be wrong about. Diodorus, Philo, and the historian Strabo all claim
the gardens existed. They were destroyed by an earthquake sometime after the 1st
century CE.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was created by the great Greek sculptor Phidias (known
as the finest sculptor of the ancient world in the 5th century BCE, he also worked on
the Parthenon and the statue of Athena there in Athens). The statue depicted the god
Zeus seated on his throne, his skin of ivory and robes of hammered gold, and was 40
feet (12 m) tall, designed to inspire awe in the worshippers who came to the Temple of
Zeus at Olympia. Not everyone was awestruck by the statue, however. Strabo reports,
Although the temple itself is very large, the sculptor is criticized for not having
appreciated the correct proportions. He has shown Zeus seated, but with the head
almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand
up he would unroof the temple (Seven Wonders). The Temple at Olympia fell into ruin
after the rise of Christianity and the ban on the Olympic Games as `pagan rites. The
statue was carried off to Constantinople where it was later destroyed, sometime in
either the 5th or 6th centuries CE, by an earthquake.
 Statue of Zeus, Olympia

TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS AT EPHESOS

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, a Greek colony in Asia Minor, took over 120 years
to build and only one night to destroy. Completed in 550 BCE, the temple was 425 feet
(about 129 m) high, 225 feet (almost 69 m) wide, supported by 127 60 foot (about 18 m)
high columns. Sponsored by the wealthy King Croesus of Lydia, who spared no
expense in anything he did (according to Herodotus, among others) the temple was so
magnificent that every account of it is written with the same tone of awe and each
agrees with the other that this was among the most amazing structures ever raised by
humans. On July 21, 356 BCE a man named Herostratus set fire to the temple in order,
as he said, to achieve lasting fame by forever being associated with the destruction of
something so beautiful. The Ephesians decreed that his name should never be recorded
nor remembered but Strabo set it down as a point of interest in the history of the
temple. On the same night the temple burned, Alexander the Great was born and, later,
offered to rebuild the ruined temple but the Ephesians refused his generosity. It was
rebuilt on a less grand scale after Alexanders death but was destroyed by the invasion
of the Goths. Rebuilt again, it was finally destroyed utterly by a Christian mob lead by
Saint John Chrysostom in 401 CE.

Model of the Temple of Artemis

MAUSOLEUM OF HALICARNASSUS
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of the Persian Satrap Mauslos, built in
351 BCE. Mauslos chose Halicarnassus as his capital city, and he and his beloved wife
Artemisia went to great lengths to create a city whose beauty would be unmatched in
the world. Mauslos died in 353 BCE and Artemisia wished to create a final resting place
worthy of such a great king. Artemisia died two years after Mauslos and her ashes were
entombed with his in the mausoleum (Pliny the Elder records that the craftsmen
continued work on the structure after her death, both as a tribute to their patroness and
knowing the work would bring them lasting fame). The tomb was 135 feet (41 m) tall
and ornately decorated with fine sculpture. It was destroyed by a series of earthquakes
and lay in ruin for hundreds of years until, in 1494 CE, it was completely dismantled
and used by the Knights of St. John of Malta in the building of their castle at Bodrum
(where the ancient stones can still be seen today). It is from the tomb of Mauslos that
the English word `mausoleum is derived.

Lion from Mausoleum at Halicarnassos

COLOSSUS OF RHODES
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the god Helios (the patron god of the island of
Rhodes) constructed between 292 and 280 BCE. It stood over 110 feet (just over 33 m)
high overlooking the harbor of Rhodes and, despite fanciful depictions to the contrary,
stood with its legs together on a base (much like the Statue of Liberty in the harbor off
New York City in the United States of America, which is modeled on the Colossus) and
did not straddle the harbour. The statue was commissioned after the defeat of the
invading army of Demetrius in 304 BCE. Demetrius left behind much of his siege
equipment and weaponry and this was sold by the Rhodians for 300 talents
(approximately 360 million U.S. dollars) which money they used to build the Colossus.
The statue stood for only 56 years before it was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BCE.
It lay in impressive ruin for over 800 years, according to Strabo, and was still a tourist
attraction. Pliny the Elder claims that the fingers of the Colossus were larger than most
statues of his day. According to the historian Theophanes the bronze ruins were
eventually sold to a Jewish merchant of Edessa around 654 CE who carried them
away on 900 camels to be melted down.
 Ancient Rhodes by Frantisek Kupka

LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA
The Lighthouse at Alexandria, built on the island of Pharos, stood close to 440 feet (134
m) in height and was commissioned by Ptolemy I Soter. Construction was completed
sometime around 280 BCE. The lighthouse was the third tallest human-made structure
in the world (after the pyramids) and its light (a mirror which reflected the suns rays
by day and a fire by night) could be seen as far as 35 miles out to sea. The structure rose
from a square base to a middle octagonal section up to a circular top and those who saw
it in its glory reported that words were inadequate to describe its beauty. The
lighthouse was badly damaged in an earthquake in 956 CE, again in 1303 CE and 1323
CE and, by the year 1480 CE, it was gone. The Egyptian fort Quaitbey now stands on
the site of the Pharos, built with some of the stones from the ruins of the lighthouse.
 Lighthouse of Alexandria

OTHER WONDERS
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were, by no means, a comprehensive agreed-
upon list of the most impressive structures of the day. Rather, the list was very much
like a modern-day tourist pamphlet informing travelers on what to see on their
trip. Those masterpieces listed above are the traditionally accepted 'wonders as first set
down by Philo of Byzantium but there were many writers who followed him who
disagreed on what was a 'wonder and what was only of passing interest. Herodotus,
for example, cites the Egyptian Labyrinth as being far more impressive than even the
pyramids of Giza, stating,

I visited this building and found it to surpass description; for if all the great works of the
Greeks could be put together in one, they would not equal this Labyrinth. The Pyramids
likewise surpass description, but the Labyrinth surpasses the Pyramids.

Nor did all agree on which of the 'wonders was the most wonderful, as this passage
from Antipater, praising the Temple of Artemis, attests:

I have gazed on the walls of impregnable Babylon along which chariots may race, and
on the Zeus by the banks of the Alpheus, I have seen the hanging gardens, and the
Colossus of the Helios, the great man-made mountains of the lofty pyramids, and the
gigantic tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the sacred house of Artemis, that towers to
the clouds, the others were placed in the shade, for the sun himself, has never looked
upon its equal, outside Olympus.

Antipater also replaced the Lighthouse with Babylon's walls and Callimachus, among
others, listed the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. Philos list, however, has long been accepted
as the 'official definition of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What they all did
agree on, however, was that, once upon a time, humans raised structures which were
worthy of the work of the gods and, once seen, were never to be forgotten.
LEARN MORE
RELATED ARTICLES BOOKS BIBLIOGRAPHY CITE THIS WORK LICENSE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joshua J. Mark
A freelance writer and part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York,
Joshua J. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. He
teaches ancient history, writing, literature, and philosophy.

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Bibliography
Durant, W, The Life of Greece (Simon & Schuster, 1954).

Jordan, P, Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Longman, 2002).

Nagle, D. B, The Ancient World (Pearson, 2009).

Cite This Work

APA Style

Mark, J. J. (2009, September 02). The Seven Wonders. Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Retrieved from http://www.ancient.eu/The_Seven_Wonders/

Chicago Style

Mark, Joshua J. "The Seven Wonders." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified
September 02, 2009. http://www.ancient.eu/The_Seven_Wonders/.

MLA Style

Mark, Joshua J. "The Seven Wonders." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History
Encyclopedia, 02 Sep 2009. Web. 18 May 2017.

External Links
10 Wonders of the Ancient Worldwww.listaddiction.com

How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Workwww.missedinhistory.com

List of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World7wonders.mrdonn.org

Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worldwww.faculty.fairfield.edu

Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worldwww.livius.org

 Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World-GARDENS OF BABYLON (TED-Ed
lesson)ed.ted.com

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worldwww.unmuseum.org

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License
Written by Joshua J. Mark, published on 02 September 2009 under the following
license: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license lets
others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the
author and license their new creations under the identical terms.

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Timeline
VISUAL TIMELINE
c. 2,560 BCE

The Great Pyramid is constructed by PharaohKhufu (Cheops).

c. 2,510 BCE
 Pyramid of Menkaure is built at Giza.

550 BCE - 430 BCE

Construction of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesos, one of the Seven Wonders of

the Ancient World.

c. 456 BCE

The cult statue of Zeus by Phidias is dedicated in the Temple of Zeus, Olympia.
It is one of the Seven Wondersof the Ancient World.

c. 304 BCE

The Colossus of Rhodes, a representation of Helios, is built in Rhodes town

harbour, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

228 BCE - 226 BCE

The Colossus of Rhodes is toppled by an earthquake.

225 BCE

Philo of Byzantium records The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.