Ideas The 2,000-year-old travel list to complete before you die
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May 6, 2025 In this engaging conversation, historian Bettany Hughes delves into the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, unveiling the mystery behind this ancient travel list. She discusses the Great Pyramid of Giza, highlighting its colossal construction and spiritual significance. The iconic Hanging Gardens of Babylon are also explored, blending myth with possible realities. Bettany reflects on the cultural importance of these wonders, revealing how they shaped human connection and sparked a timeless sense of wonder that resonates even today.
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Seven Wonders as Ancient Bucket List
- The Seven Wonders list was a practical bucket list for all social classes to visit in antiquity.
- It reflects the Hellenistic optimism of organizing and rationalizing knowledge to control chaos.
Criteria for Wonders Selection
- The wonders were chosen for their enormous size and representing human ambition.
- Each wonder embodied a unique drive and was reachable by travel within the Mediterranean basin.
Great Pyramid’s Original Splendor
- The Great Pyramid once gleamed with polished white limestone and gold-silver capstone, reflecting in the Nile floodwaters.
- It was part of a vibrant river landscape with wildlife and flora unlike today's desert.
