Apparently, however, the good saint changed his mind half a century or so later, for his remains were then brought into the cathedral and, instead of manifesting any displeasure, two hundred miraculous cures were credited to him in ten days.
THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD.
Despite All the Advantages That Have Resulted from Modern Invention, Artists, Architects, and Engineers of the Present Time Are Dwarfed by Those Who Wrought the Marvels of Ancient and Medieval Days.
There are two groups of “wonders of the world,” the first belonging to the period which we distinguish by the term antiquity, and the second to the Middle Ages. Considering the lack of facilities for building in the earlier period, it seems that the wonders of antiquity are much more remarkable than those of the medieval age; but these are stupendous marvels also, and deserve their fame, every one.
The Pyramids of Egypt rank first, being the oldest as well as the most permanent things which man has ever built. They are situated in middle Egypt, and there are now in existence some seventy-five; of this number there are some which are crumbling into shapeless masses, but the group of Ghizeh, which is the most important, stands in sturdy and unyielding strength.
The Pyramids are the tombs of Egypt’s dead kings, and date back to the Fourth Dynasty—about three thousand years before Christ. The largest covers an area of nearly thirteen acres, was originally four hundred and eighty-one feet high, and had a length on each side, at the base, of seven hundred and fifty-five feet.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by Nebuchadnezzar for his queen, Amytis, and their site has been located at the northern end of the city. They consisted of a series of terraces rising to a considerable height, and laid out as a park; it is probable that such gardens would have been near to or adjoining the king’s palace, but whether or not they were has not as yet been discovered. The reign of Nebuchadnezzar was about 600 B.C.
The Tomb of Mausolus, King of Caria, at Halicarnassus, was built about 352 B.C. From this great monument, built by the king’s widow, Artemisia, as a memorial to him, the word mausoleum of our common speech is derived. The tomb seems to have been preserved up to the twelfth century, but earthquakes probably started its ruin soon after this, and the stones from it have been used in many other buildings, so that now even its general appearance can only be guessed at.
The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was built at the public charge, though King Crœsus is believed to have contributed largely to it. It was one hundred and sixty-four by three hundred and forty-two and a half feet, and the height of its columns was fifty-five feet. It was begun in the sixth century before Christ, and one hundred and twenty years are said to have elapsed before it was completed. It was the seat of the worship of the goddess Diana.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of Helios, the sun-god, which was made from the spoils left by Demetrius when the city was successfully defended against him, after a long siege. Its construction occupied the artist twelve years. It stood near the harbor, but not across the entrance, as was at one time supposed. It was erected about 280 B.C., and thrown down by an earthquake some sixty-six years later. Its height was something over one hundred feet.