Despite All the Advantages That Have Resulted from Modern Invention,
Artists, Architects, and Engineers of the Present Time Are Dwarfed by
Those Who Wrought the Marvels of Ancient and Medieval Days.
There are two groups of “wonders of the world,” the first belonging to
the period which we distinguish by the term antiquity, and the second to
the Middle Ages. Considering the lack of facilities for building in the
earlier period, it seems that the wonders of antiquity are much more
remarkable than those of the medieval age; but these are stupendous
marvels also, and deserve their fame, every one.
The Pyramids of Egypt rank first, being the oldest as well as the most
permanent things which man has ever built. They are situated in middle
Egypt, and there are now in existence some seventy-five; of this
number there are some which are crumbling into shapeless masses, but
the group of Ghizeh, which is the most important, stands in sturdy and
unyielding strength.
The Pyramids are the tombs of Egypt’s dead kings, and date back to the
Fourth Dynasty—about three thousand years before Christ. The largest
covers an area of nearly thirteen acres, was originally four hundred
and eighty-one feet high, and had a length on each side, at the base,
of seven hundred and fifty-five feet.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by Nebuchadnezzar for his
queen, Amytis, and their site has been located at the northern end of
the city. They consisted of a series of terraces rising to a
considerable height, and laid out as a park; it is probable that such
gardens would have been near to or adjoining the king’s palace, but
whether or not they were has not as yet been discovered. The reign of
Nebuchadnezzar was about 600 B.C.
The Tomb of Mausolus, King of Caria, at Halicarnassus, was built about
352 B.C. From this great monument, built by the king’s widow,
Artemisia, as a memorial to him, the word mausoleum of our common
speech is derived. The tomb seems to have been preserved up to the
twelfth century, but earthquakes probably started its ruin soon after
this, and the stones from it have been used in many other buildings,
so that now even its general appearance can only be guessed at.
The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was built at the public charge,
though King Crœsus is believed to have contributed largely to it. It
was one hundred and sixty-four by three hundred and forty-two and a
half feet, and the height of its columns was fifty-five feet. It was
begun in the sixth century before Christ, and one hundred and twenty
years are said to have elapsed before it was completed. It was the
seat of the worship of the goddess Diana.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of Helios, the sun-god, which was
made from the spoils left by Demetrius when the city was successfully
defended against him, after a long siege. Its construction occupied
the artist twelve years. It stood near the harbor, but not across the
entrance, as was at one time supposed. It was erected about 280 B.C.,
and thrown down by an earthquake some sixty-six years later. Its
height was something over one hundred feet.
The Statue of Jupiter at Olympia was the work of the greatest sculptor
of ancient Greece, Phidias by name, who was born about 490 B.C. This
heroic figure was about forty-two feet high, and represented the god
seated on a throne. It was made of ivory and gold.
The Pharos of Egypt was begun under Ptolemy I, and was finished by his
son about 282 B.C. It was a lofty tower, built on the eastern
extremity of the rocky island from which it took its name, and was the
great lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor of Alexandria. The
light was furnished by a beacon-fire on its summit. Its height was
four hundred and fifty feet, and the light could be seen at a distance
of one hundred miles.
The Palace of Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, is also
mentioned as one of the wonders of the ancient world, though the
preference is given to the Pharos of Egypt by the best authorities.
This palace was cemented with gold.
The wonders of the Middle Ages seem quite modern compared with the
marvels of the ancient world, long since crumbled into dust.
The Colosseum of Rome heads the later list. This was built by
Vespasian, and dedicated by his son Titus, in 80 A.D. According to a
document of the fourth century, this great amphitheater seated
eighty-seven thousand persons, its dimensions being six hundred and
seventeen by five hundred and twelve feet. It was the scene of the
bloody sports in which the Romans delighted, and of the martyrdom of
many of the early Christians.
The Catacombs of Rome, the earliest burial places of the Christians,
are outside the city walls, within a radius of three miles; they were
excavated wherever the soil was suitable for such tunneling, but were
not secretly made, as the old tradition would have us believe. Their
length has been estimated variously at from three hundred and fifty to
eight hundred miles, and the number of dead which they contain is from
six to seven millions.
The Great Wall of China was built by the founder of the Tsin dynasty,
in 256 B.C. Its length was once more than one thousand two hundred and
fifty miles, and it is the largest defensive work in the world, being
thirty-five feet high and twenty-one feet thick. It follows an
irregular course, marking the northern boundary of the empire, and is
not deflected by natural obstacles. There are towers at frequent
intervals, presumably for lookout.
Stonehenge is the most remarkable example of the ancient stone circles
and stands, a magnificent ruin, on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire,
southern England. It is at least as early as the Bronze Age, according
to the most modern research, and that was from 2000 to 1800 B.C. From
the arrangement of the stones with reference to the sun, It is
believed to have had some connection with sun worship.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most remarkable of these slanting
campaniles, though not by any means the only one. It was begun in 1174
and finished in 1350. Its height is one hundred and eighty-one feet,
and it is fifty-one and a half feet in diameter at the base. It
inclines thirteen feet eight inches toward the south. The opinion
prevails now that the slant is intentional in all these leaning
towers, though the reason for it is not clear.
The Porcelain Tower of Nanking, which was erected early in the
fifteenth century, was an octagonal structure, faced with variegated
porcelain. Lamps and bells were hung from it. It was destroyed by the
Taipings in 1853, but many miniatures of it are in existence in
various parts of the world.
The Mosque of St. Sophia, in Constantinople, is one of the most
magnificent edifices in the world. It was begun by Justinian in A.D.
532 and was completed in five years. Originally it was named the
Church of St. Sophia. Its walls were decorated with beautiful mosaics,
which have been partly effaced or partly covered with inscriptions
from the Koran. It was converted into a mosque by Mohammed II, in
1453, and four minarets were added, while the golden cross was
replaced by the crescent. Its dome is one hundred and five feet in
diameter and one hundred and eighty-four feet high inside.