Timesuck with Dan Cummins 247 - The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Jun 7, 2021
A tour of the ancient Seven Wonders and the debates around them. Deep dives into the Great Pyramid, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Colossus of Rhodes, Temple of Artemis, Statue of Zeus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Hanging Gardens. Also covers modern New7Wonders, natural wonders like Victoria Falls and the Great Barrier Reef, and bizarre roadside oddities. Lots of wild internet theories get roasted along the way.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Arson, Rebuilds, And Politics At Artemis Temple
- Dan tells the Temple of Artemis history: built, burned by arsonist Herostratus, rebuilt, later destroyed by Goths and Christian mobs.
- Details: original columns ~60 ft high, 127 columns, foundations used charcoal and possibly sheepskins to stabilize marshy ground.
Mausoleum Invented The Tomb Type Its Name Uses
- The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus coined the word mausoleum and combined sculpture with architecture in a 140 ft tomb.
- Five sculptors contributed friezes and a 25-ft chariot atop a stepped-pyramid roof.
Rhodes Built The Colossus From Siege Spoils
- Rhodes funded the Colossus by melting abandoned siege equipment after repelling Demetrios's siege.
- The bronze statue stood ~110 ft, toppled by an earthquake after 56 years and later left in ruins for centuries.