Page 96 - All About History - Issue 12-14

HISTORY ANSWERS

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What were the Seven
Wonders of the
Ancient World?

Katy Mangrove, Bristol
Over the ages, many have made lists of the Seven Wonders
of the World, however the original referred to architectural
achievements of classic antiquity. The ancient wonders
were the Great Pyramid of Giza; the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon; the Statue of Zeus at Olympia; Temple of Artemis at
Ephesus; Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in modern-day Turkey;
the Lighthouse of Alexandria; and the 30-metre (98-foot)
high Colossus of Rhodes statue.
Of the seven, only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains, the
rest were destroyed by earthquakes or were burnt down by
later empires. Greek historian Herodotus and the architect
Callimachus of Cyrene wrote lists of the Seven Wonders of
the World, which were housed in the Museum of Alexandria
and subsequently lost.

Boudica remains a cultural
icon of British freedom
Who was Boudica?

John Marsten, Chicago was otherwise engaged in a military campaign
Boudica, or Boadicea, was a Celtic warrior queen in Wales. The crisis caused Emperor Nero
who united several British tribes in revolt against to seriously consider pulling out of Britain,
the Roman occupation in 61-60 BCE. Famously, but Suetonius managed to regroup his forces
she successfully captured and burnt the city of and despite being outnumbered by Boudica’s
Londinium (modern-day London) to the ground, 100,000-strong army, defeated the Britons at
along with the towns of Verulamium (modern the Battle of Watling Street (an ancient trackway
St Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester). An between St Albans and Canterbury), reasserting
estimated 70,000–80,000 Romans and British Roman authority in the region. As for Boudica
were killed by Boudica’s troops. herself, she either committed suicide or fell ill and
The Britons took advantage of the fact Roman died, depending on which historical source you
Govenor of Britain, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, choose to believe. The Seven Wonders of the World were tourist
attractions for the ancient Greeks

This day in history 1 May: All About History 12 goes on sale, but what else

250 BCE 1006 1328 1753

O May Day O Lupus supernova O Scottish Independence O Modern botany begins
Though later co-opted by Christianity, The brightest stellar event ever The Wars of Scottish Independence are The publication of Species
May Day originates from the Celtic recorded in history, a supernova ended with the signing of the Treaty Plantarum by Swedish doctor Carl
festival of Beltane, which celebrates in the Lupus constellation, is of Edinburgh-Northampton, in which Linnaeus marks the beginning of a
the beginning of summer. Other observed in China, Japan, Iraq, England acknowledges Scotland’s scientific approach to botany. The
cultures that mark the date include the Egypt, and Europe. Sources claim autonomy. On the same day in 1707, the book describes over 7,300 species
Roman Flora festival and Walpurgis it is almost as bright as the moon two kingdoms officially join and form across 1,200 pages and is published
Night in Germanic countries. and even casts shadows. Great Britain. in two volumes.

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