The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World ) refers to remarkable constructions of classical
antiquity listed by various authors in the popular guides in ancient Greek
tourists , especially in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. The most important of
these, the versions by Antipater of Sidon and an observer identified as Phil on of Byzantium, comprise seven works located on the periphery of the eastern
Mediterranean. The original list inspired innumerable versions through the ages
, often listing seven entries. Among the Seven Wonders of origin, only the
Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the ancient wonders - remains relatively
intact.
The Greek conquest of much of the known world in the 4th century BC gave
Hellenistic travelers access to the civilization of the Egyptians, Persians and
Babylonians. Impressed and fascinated by the sights and wonders of different
lands , these travelers began to list what they saw to remember.
Instead of "wonders" , the ancient
Greeks spoke of " theamata " ( θεάματα ) , which means
"images" , in other words " things to see ". ( Τὰ ἑπτὰ θεάματα τῆς οἰκουμένης [ γῆς ] hepta Ta theámata TES oikoumenēs (GHG) Later, the word
" miracle " (" thaumata " θαύματα ) was used , and this is
also the case in modern Greek ( Επτά θαύματα του αρχαίου κόσμου ) .
Consequently, the list should be the counterpart of the Old World travel guide
.
Each person has their own version of the list,
but the best known and oldest survivor was a poem epigrammist speaking Greek
Antipater of Sidon from around 140 BC. He named six of the seven sites on the
list , leaving the lighthouse, but mainly in praise of the temple of Artemis at
Ephesus.
Another observer 2nd century BC , who claimed
to be the mathematician Philon of Byzantium, wrote a short story entitled The
Seven Sights of the world. However , the surviving manuscript incomplete
covered only six of the seven alleged scene , which agreed with Antipater's
list.
Earlier and later lists by the historian
Herodotus (484 BC - . Around 425 BC) and the architect Callimachus of Cyrene
(ca. 305-240 BC) , housed at the Museum of Alexandria , survived only as
references .
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. Therefore, all seven existed at the same time for a
period of 60 years . Antipater had an earlier version which replaced Lighthouse
of Alexandria with the walls of Babylon . Lists which preceded the construction
of Colossus of Rhodes completed their seven entries with the inclusion of the
Ishtar Gate .
Scope:It is believed that the limitation
of the list of seven entries was attributed to the special magical significance
of this issue. Geographically, the list covered only the sculptural and
architectural monuments of the Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East,
which then included the world known to the Greeks. Thus, beyond existing sites
this area are not considered part of contemporary accounts.
The main accounts from Hellenistic writers ,
also heavily influenced the places included in the list of wonders. Five of the
seven entries are a celebration of Greek accomplishments in the arts and
architecture.
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