The Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World comprise the greatest feats of ancient technology, architecture, and art as seen by Greek and Roman authors. The list has changed only slightly since it first appeared (c.130 ©) in a poem by Antipater of Sidon in the Greek Anthology. He praises the pyramids of Egypt, the Walls and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Colossus of Rhodes.

The engineer Philo of Byzantium (fl. 146 BC) is said to have written the work entitled Peri ton hepta theamiton (Concerning the Seven Wonders of the World), although it may actually date from the Roman Empire. In his enumeration of the monuments the Pharos of Alexandria replaces the Walls of Babylon, which various later writers have listed together with the Hanging Gardens. Among other authors who described the seven wonders were Herodotus (5th century BC), Diodorus (1st century BC), and Strabo and Pliny the Elder (both 1st century AD.). The Pergamum Altar has also been included as one of the wonders. All those cited were visited during the Hellenistic Age (323-149 BC) and remained the most famous attractions of the Roman world. They can be reconstructed from archaeological evidence.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Straits of Mackinac

The Straits of Mackinac separate Upper and Lower Michigan and connect Lake Michigan on the west to Lake Huron on the east. The Mackinac Bridge, one of the major suspension bridges in the world, crosses the straits, connecting Mackinaw City and Saint Ignace in northern Michigan. Completed in 1957, the bridge was designed to withstand the extreme wind conditions and heavy ice and snow loads encountered in northern Michigan.

The channel, 6 km (4 mi) wide and 48 km (30 mi) long, separates the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan. The two large islands in the strait are Bois Blanc and Mackinac. The straits were discovered by Jean Nicolet in 1634. The Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, crosses the straits.

The Seven Wonders of the World

"The Best Result Page using FireFox Browser"

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Straits of Mackinac

No comments:

Wonder Worlds Tag

Reference Book