M. Golden
ARTS 111
Mid-Term Paper
February 1, 2014
Wonders of the Ancient World
Throughout ancient history many lists were created for must see architectural structures. These lists were generated by travelers during the prime of these structures and some even after destruction. There came a time where the Greeks compiled the list to what we now call The Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. These structures were all created over the course of several years, so some were destroyed by the time others were constructed. The tale of greatness will be retold through my eyes for four of these seven wonders.
When the Temple of Artemis was first constructed in 800 BCE on the River Selinas in Ephesus, the Ephesians had no idea what all this temple would be put through. Asia Minor was known for earthquakes so the temple was built in the marsh land with the idea that the soft, marshy ground would absorb even the worst of tremors. The original temple was built as a sanctuary to pray to Artemis, the goddess of fertility, who the Ephesians believed also to be the goddess of the hunt. For reasons of the city growing due to trade and the fact that Ephesians thought the daughter of Zeus needed a larger temple, the temple was reconstructed to be larger than the original. However, the reconstruction did not last long. In 550 BCE, Ephesus was conquered by King Croesus and the temple was destroyed. The new king had great wealth and contributed to the rebuilding of the temple. This time it was much larger than those before, measuring around 360 feet by 164 feet. The wooden roof was supported by about 120 columns that were made out of marble and were 60 feet high. Throughout the newly built temple many items were made out of wood, such as doors and frames, as well as some statues. Around 356 BCE, a local man had a dream to be known throughout the world. Herostratus single-handedly burnt the temple to the ground. Once again the temple had to be reconstructed.
This time, the Temple of Artemis was going to be made out of pure marble, the first of its kind to be built. They used the same idea to have many columns; some had relief carvings on the lower portion, while others had silver and gold inlay. Inside the temple were many paintings and sculptures. Four of these sculptures were statues of large, bronze Amazon women who are said to have discovered the city of Ephesus. The use of ramps made out of the ground and teams of oxen are thought to have made the construction of these large objects possible. The temple came under attack again when the Romans invaded Ephesus. Ephesian’s were now under Roman rule and the temple stood for roughly another 100 years until it was no longer needed. With the new religious cult of Christianity becoming popular among the Romans, the temple was left to be filled in by the river. The Temple of Artemis was nothing less than perfection. Its magnificent beauty and astonishing size gave reason to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Once located along the western coast of Greece, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia sat at nearly 40 feet tall. His head almost touched the ceiling portraying the image that if he were to stand up, he would lift the roof right off of its frame. In honor of the Greek god Zeus, who was the king of the Greek gods, a stadium was built for the Olympic Games.
Previously a small statue of Zeus was displayed for the first 300 years until the rising popularity of the Olympic Games called for a much larger, more honorable statue of their adored god. Phidias, a great sculptor of his day known for creating remarkable large scale statues, began sculpting a new Zeus around 440 BCE. Phidias began his work by assembling a wooden frame and then covering the hair, sandals and clothing in gold. His arms, face, hands and feet were covered with carved ivory. Other aspects of the statue were his scepter with an eagle resting on the top, a crown of olive branches and Nike, the goddess of victory, stood in his right hand.
In 170 BCE, an earthquake was to blame for the first damage done to Zeus. Later during the first century CE, an order from King Constantine, who converted to Christianity, left pagan god statues bare from any gold, including Zeus. Come 391 CE, Roman Emperor Theodosius I went a step further in his Christian beliefs and banned the Olympic Games with the conviction that the games were a pagan ritual.
How Zeus was ultimately destroyed is not fully determined. There are some that say he burned down with the Olympic Temple in 425 CE. Another account is said that Lausus, a wealthy Greek, moved him to Constantinople for his own private collection and later burned down with the city in 475 CE. Although he is the smallest of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Zeus of Olympia created a powerful image of the highest Greek god. An impression that made him one of the great ancient wonders. In the city of Halicarnassus on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, a great tomb was built in honor of King Mausolus by his beloved wife and sister, Queen Artemisia. When he passed away, his queen wanted to make the most exquisite tomb, and she expected nothing less of extravagant. The greatest sculptors and architects of this time were hired to do just that. The term mausoleum, used to describe great tombs, originated here because of the grandeur of King Mausolus’ tomb.
While construction was completed in 353 BCE, Queen Artemisia did not live to see her work, she passed away two years after the king and one year before the mausoleum was finished. The mausoleum started out as a rectangular base with a large block resting on top, together they measured out to be 72 feet high. On top of the block were 39 columns that stood 36 feet high and were arranged in rows. These columns supported the 24 step pyramid that created a roof. Located at the peak of the pyramid was a four horse drawn chariot with statues of King Mausolus and Queen Artemisia. The structure was a total of 140 feet in height and was made out of brick faced with white marble. Not only was the outside of the tomb marvelous with its reliefs of battles, the inside was decorated with free standing statues and sculptures that reflected the ancient world. Shockingly, when Alexander the Great conquered the city in 334 BCE and left Halicarnassus in shambles, the Maulsoleum was unharmed. It remained fully intact for another 1700 years until eventually earthquakes took their toll and brought it to the ground in 1200 CE. Around 1400 CE, Crusaders first used the rubble to build their own buildings and later to build a fortress against invaders. While excavating through the rubble, the Crusaders came across the coffins of the King and Queen and other treasure, and looted the tomb for all its worth.
To this day the remains of Mausolus and Artemisia have yet to be found. However, a few items do remain and are on display in London’s British Museum. It was not just because of its profound architecture that proved this to be one of the seven wonders, it was also due to the incredible works of art that the sculptors created that amazed the world. The Colossus of Rhodes is a statue made in celebration of a great victory. Rhodes is an island just off the southern coast of Asia Minor. In an attempt to seize Rhodes in 305 BCE, King Demetrius of Phrygia and Lycia violently attacked not knowing what he was up against.
Citizens of Rhodes were relentless and had help from Helios, god and protector of their city, to fight off Demetrius. Demetrius and his army fled the island and in celebration they built a statue in honor of Helios. The sculptor, Chares of Lindos, created the Colossus of Rhodes around 302 BCE. He began with iron framework in which he then covered and sculpted with clay. A spiral wall was built up around the form so that bronze sheets could easily be attached. The bronze is said to have come from melting down the machines and weapons Demetrius left behind. The inside was filled up with rocks to keep it stabilized. A ladder ran along one side of the giant Helios statue so that repairs could easily be made once it was completed. The colossus itself was 110 feet tall. It is unsure what the colossus really looked like but there are some theories. Some believe the colossus was on a pedestal and others think he straddled the channel leading into the city. Some picture the colossus as naked holding an arrow in one hand and a torch in the other. Others say he was wearing a garment with it draped over one arm. All agree though that his head and crown with seven sunrays were covered with gold.
For 66 years Helios amazed all, but in 224 BCE an earthquake struck and broke him at the knees. His upper body crashed into the water and that’s where he laid for almost 900 years. In 654 CE, Arabs conquered Rhodes, broke the bronze statue into pieces and had 900 camels take it back to Edessa. More than likely they melted it down into more weapons. The Colossus of Rhodes became a wonder of the ancient world simply because of its size. It was the tallest statue in the ancient world. It also had great details in making it look life like. The Seven Wonders of Ancient History were works of art perfected by those who took pride in their culture and religious beliefs. They were chosen because they left an awe inspiring impression on the people who saw them and a great sense of curiosity to those who’ve only heard stories. These wonders are a window into the cultures that have shaped our world today.

Bibliography
Curlee, Lynn. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. New York: Atheneum for Young Readers, 2002. Print.
Pollard, Justin. Wonders of the Ancient World: Antiquity's Greatest Feats of Design and Engineering.
London: Quercus, 2008. Print.
Reichardt, Hans. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Vol. 3. Nuremberg, Germany: Tessloff Pub.,
1998. Print.