¶ … Ancient Wonders of the World
The classic era in history saw the construction of some of the most remarkable structures the world has ever seen. Of the Seven Wonders of the World, four structures stand out and are the focus of this discussion. These four structures are: The Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
During the period of classical antiquity, and particularly the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, several extraordinary built environments were constructed that have fascinated people across the ages. The classical period is most often associated with the land around the Mediterranean Sea, which encompassed the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. The Greco-Roman cultures flourished during the classical era and influenced societies in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (D' Epiro & Pinkowish).
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes represents the highest achievement of Greek engineering in sculptural form, and it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The operational word is colossus in that the sculpture was a 98.4 feet high metallic characterization of the Greek sun god Helious (D' Epiro & Pinkowish). Located near the Manraki Harbor in Rhodes, the Colossus of Rhodes marked the way for ships as they entered and left the Harbor (D' Epiro & Pinkowish). As ancient constructions often did, the enormous sculpture designed and constructed by Chares of Lindos commemorated a battle. Demetrius I of Cyprus led a huge invasion that was repelled by the Greeks, and it was this victory that the Colossus marks (D' Epiro & Pinkowish). Ironically, the metal used to construct the Colossus was part of the spoils of war taken from the Cyprus war fleet that had been abandoned (D' Epiro & Pinkowish). Stone was taken from a siege tower to be used as scaffolding for the sculpture, and the metal from combat equipment was smelted and reforged to construct the sculpture.
Ancient writings have been found that describe some phases of the construction of the Colossus. It is believed that an iron "skeleton" of...
C.E., is an outstanding example of "the sedate, idealized manner now recognized as Augustan," a reference to the Roman emperor Augustus of the early Roman Empire period. Thus, this marble statue symbolizes Augustus "proclaiming a diplomatic victory to the citizens of Rome" (Kjellberg, 1968, 245). Artistically, it is of the highest quality, much like the Doryphoros, and was probably executed by a Greek artist which explains why it is somewhat similar
As Richard Polidoro and Uriel Simri (1996) write, " Most of the athletes participating in the Games of 676 BC probably came from various Peloponnesian districts and had a relatively short distance to travel. Some participants, however, may have traveled from communities located outside the immediate vicinity. Under the sacred truce, or ekecheiria, the athletes, officials, and spectators were guaranteed safe passage to and from Olympia." Another important factor to note
"The Greeks studied the movement of the body, how weight is carried, and how a shift in stance could affect the placement of limbs, torso, and head. After 480 BCE, the first marble sculpture displaying the qualities of 'contrapposto," or weight shift, appeared in the Kritios Boy" ("Classical Greek Sculpture: Background," Greek Sculpture, 1998). This is why classical sculptures are more atomically naturalistic. This is particularly evident in the
civilizations we have studied thus far in this course, which do you believe has contributed the most to our present society and why? You must state you case by giving specific examples based on reading and research. Each civilization of the world has grown and evolved on the contributions made by civilization preceding their own. It is beyond contesting that Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations (3000-12000 B.C.E.) laid the foundation of
Herodotus is called first historian, as he was the first known author of the historical book called the Histories, which contained various myths, legends and also many important historical events that were commented by this great Greek. Herodotus was a very smart man but when reading his book I have to mention that we have to treat him as ancient man who sincerely believed different myths (for example he was sure
Free were the Ancient Greeks to Live their Lives as they Chose? The period covered by the term 'Ancient Greece' is a long one, encompassing the Mycenaean period and the subsequent so-called 'Dark Age' (c.1600-900 B.C.), the Archaic Period (c.900-480 B.C.), the Classical period (c.480-323 B.C.) and the Hellenistic period (c. 323-146 B.C.). This essay will discuss the Mycenaean, Archaic and Classical periods, using the literature of some of the
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