There are seven most remarkable structures of ancient times and I’m going to write about four out of the seven. The statue of Zeus, which was created in 432 B.C., by Phidius, the lighthouse Of Alexandria that was created by Sostratus in 290 B.C. and took 20 years to complete. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus that was first created in 800 B.C. by Croesus and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus that was built around 353 and 350 B.C. These are only four out of the seven wonders I will be writing about who commissioned and created each one of them. How they were built, where they were located, when was it constructed, why they were considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and what happened to them.
The Statue of Zeus, which was commissioned by Phidius. He was a Greek sculptor, painter and architect, who lived in the 5th century BC, and was said to be one of the greatest sculptors of Classical Greece. Phidius went to Olympia in 432 B.C. to work on the statue of Zeus and it took him 12 years to complete (Woods). The statue of Zeus was made of cedar, inlaid ivory, gold and ebony. Zeus held a statue of Nike, the Greek Goddess of victory in his left hand and a staff of an eagle preached atop of his left hand (Curlee). The statue of Zeus was located in Peloponnesus, which is modern Greece today at a location near Ancient Olympia, were the sanctuary of Zeus also known as Altis or sacred grove where the people could go to worship the Gods in ancient times. It was constructed in about 450 B.C., and finished in time for the first Olympic games, which were held in 776 B.C. The statue of Zeus was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient times because of its great size and because of its materials, ivory and gold-plated bron...
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..., the interior of the temple featured sculptures of amazon warriors, also several paintings on the walls, columns of gold, silver and the statues were life size and stood on a marble pedestal. I am amazed by how much detail went into this temple and last but not least the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus wasn’t really one of my favorites seeing how in those times they married their own family members, but the Mausoleum was created in the memory of Artemisia husband or brother Mausolus.
Bibliography
Curlee, Lynn. SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD . New York : Simon & Schuster , 2002. staff, history. com. History.com. 2009. A+E Networks. 14 april 2014 .
Woods, Michael Woods and Mary B. Seven Wonders of the Anicent world. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2009.
The Altar of Zeus currently is on display in Berlin, Germany for anyone to see and it is assumed that the temple was dedicated to Zeus or its purpose, in addition to being a tribute to the Zeus/the gods, was most used for celebration of the Pergamene people over anyone who opposed them. As Richter explains,
The sculptor Pheidias created the Enthroned Zeus around 430 B.C. This magnificent statue stands at about forty feet tall. The Enthroned Zeus is a marble statue, glazed in gold and ivory to amplify the features of Zeus. Pheidias was also very intrigued by Zeus and characterized him through his sculpture as absolute king of the gods. The Enthroned Zeus was put in the temple of Zeus at Olympia. Zeus’s temple is considered to be one of the most, if not the most important religious sanctuary in the Greek world. This actually came to be considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Zeus, as the king of the gods, sits on a large and elaborate throne with his feet on a footstool. His throne is very large with a high set back rest adding more size to the statue and to the image of Zeus as an all-powerful being. The cloak that Zeus wears drapes over him in a way that exposes his chest, showing of his mightiness, and aiming for the viewer to see the sculpture as an all-powerful force. Although his right hand is not attached we can assume that he was holding a scepter or a thunderbolt. At this time period this statue could have even been used as a statue in a private shrine of a wealthy Roman or Greek before traveling to Zeus’ temple. As the marine incrustations indicate, this statuette spent a long period of time submerged in the sea. When looking closely one notice the water marks all over the statue implicating that it must have been engulfed in the ocean for a long time period. But the left side of the sculpture is not marked which means it was probably buried in the sand and protected from the oceans currents.
The main focus of the Pantheon is the dome at its centre. The dome is made of cement, which was not available to Greek civilizations. As mentioned in the Khan Academy video referenced, the Romans were the society that perfected the use of concrete for their design and structural needs. The dome is supported by large concrete crutches in the barrel on the outside of the building. This was not something the Greeks could’ve
The Parthenon was built on the Acropolis to honor Athena, but mostly because it honored Athens itself to build it (Stockton, 4). The Athenians wanted it to house a giant statue of gold and ivory which was made by a man named Pheidias (Stockton, 1). "Pheidias’ forty-foot high statue of Athena Parthenos consisted of a frame made of wood, metal, clay, and plaster. Athena’s clothing was of gold-plate—made removable in case of emergency. Athena’s face, hands, and feet were of ivory, her eyes of precious jewels. She stood wearing a foot-length dress and a helmet, a crowned symbol of victory in her right hand and a spear in her left.
The temple of Artemis is considered one of the most significant monuments of Roman religious architecture in the Near East due to its size and grand situation. It was originally built during the Hellenistic period and then rebuilt and enlarged under the influence of the classical world. The original Temple, dedicated to the Hellenic protecting divinity Artemis, was set at the center of the city. It was placed on elevated and sacred grounds, and served as the primary sanctuary of the city for the Hellenic people. The original building, which began in AD 23 and was still under construction half a century later, was characterized by it’s ionic order
The Greeks believed the deities provided the city protection and allowed them to be successful in their endeavors while in time of war. Phidias, a master bronze worker, was commissioned to create the sculpture of Athena Parthenos, the goddess of wisdom to show tribute to the gods by creating a large scale sculpture in Acropolis. The Acropolis was the most important site in the city of Athens, and was well recognized as the hilltop of protection. It is also the most significant reference point of ancient Greek culture as well as the symbol of the city of Athens. Some of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.
Located opposite the Parthenon, the Erechtheion is one of the most distinctive buildings standing on the Athenian Acropolis constructed between 421 and 406 BC. The Erechtheion replaced the Old Temple of Acropolis, which was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. The asymmetrical building was built of Pentelic marble, with friezes of black Elusinian limestone to take applied white marble relief sculpture. ( "Erechtheum (Erechtheion)" ) Since the complex temple sits on a slopping site, it has an irregular floor plan which consists of four chambers with multiple functions. It housed a great variety of ancient cults and many sacred objects, including the venerable image of Athena Polias in the east cella, a golden lamp made by Callimachus, a well containing sea water, which is known as the Erechtheian Sea, and the mark of Poseidon's trident, sacred shrines like the altar of Poseidon, and the altars of Boutes and Hephaestus. (Roberts, "Erechthēum" ) To the south-west of the building stood the olive tree, which is a gift of Athena to the city of Athens.
The ancient Greek civilization contributed many great new ideas and aspects to everyday life that shaped and inspired the modern day society. The Greeks are well known for their construction of temples, acropolis’ and other grand architectural structures. Among these structures stood one of the most famous, the Parthenon. The Parthenon was a symbol of Greek society and culture as it stood as one of Greece’s most important architectural buildings.
of the Seven Wonders of the World, it was a statue of Zeus sitting on his
...ns greatest treasures.? These architectural areas have provided insight into the culture, religion, and government of ancient Athens.? The Agora has become a symbol of civic space, and has influenced how modern architects plan public areas.? It has also provided scholars with understanding of religious and cultural aspects of Greek life.? The Acropolis has served as symbol of the power of both Athens of religion in Greek life.? This structure has unlocked questions about art and architecture, and it continues to symbolize perfection.? Together, these ancient sites unlock the mysterious of ancient Athens.?
Sculpture is one of the most important parts of Greek art since it is almost the only art form that has survived in some quantity. The ancient Greeks were especially known for their sculpture because their sculptures were extremely life like and beautiful. It was important to the ancient Greeks to combine passion and reason in their sculpture. Greek sculptures were mostly of the human form since they looked at their gods as having a human form. All of the sculptures were nudes of males because society looked down upon female nudity until latter on in time when you started to see sculptures such as the Venus di Milo, which was modeled after Aphrodite (Wikpedia the free encyclopedia. Wikpedia.11 Nov 2004. 12 Nov 2004 http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Greek_art ). One of the most amazing sculptures is the colossus sculpture of Zeus in Olympia it was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Ancient writers said that it stood 12.40 meters high, 6.65 meters long and 9.76 meters deep the body of Zeus was made of ivory followed by a robe made of gold topped with a silver olive wreath and his throne was decorated with mythological scenes painted by Panainos and Kolotis the statue itself was created by Phidos. Michael Lahanas. 25 Dec 2002. 11 Nov 2004 (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Arts/ZeusStatue.htm). Another great sculpture is the colossus Athena Parthenos. This sculpture just like the colossus statue of Zeus was made of gold and ivory and had various mythological engravings in her shield, helmet and pedestal.
The construction of the Great Pyramid is still a mystery and marvel to this day, there are seven major feats that archeologists still don’t understand.
After the death of Maussollos, a distraught Artemisia made sure that the building of her brother/husband's Greek motivated tomb monument (which most probably started during Maussollos lifetime) was successfully completed without sparing any expense (Robin, 2006). Artemisia sought the services of so...
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World inspired awe and fascination during their time. They are ancient structers in different parts of the world. There is only one still standing today. You can still see parts of some of the wonders in museums, or other places.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the highest building ever built in the ancient times. This building had a height of 140 m and was thus often referred to as the Pharaohs of Alexandria. With time however nature has played with this unique creation as per its whims and fancies. No effort at restoration has been able to restore it to i...