The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria : second sun and Seventh Wonder of antiquity / Andrew Michael Chugg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chugg, Andrew Michael, author.

Series:

Routledge monographs in classical studies

Routledge monographs in Classical studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Architecture, Ancient--Egypt--Alexandria.

Architecture, Ancient.

Pharos Lighthouse (Alexandria, Egypt).

Alexandria (Egypt)--Antiquities.

Alexandria (Egypt).

Physical Description:

xiv, 215 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.

Other Title:

Second sun and Seventh Wonder of antiquity

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2024.

Summary:

"This comprehensive and insightful book brings scientific rigor to the problems of reconstructing the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and understanding how it functioned as the archetypal lighthouse in antiquity, when it was described as a "second Sun". Conceived by Alexander the Great and designed by Sostratus, the Pharos lighthouse stood as an iconic landmark of Alexandria for sixteen centuries until felled by a calamitous earthquake in the fourteenth century. The study of this great lighthouse has been neglected relative to other ancient Wonders such as the Great Pyramid of Giza. This book reconstructs the tower, its lustrous light, stunning statues and astounding story in diligent detail through archaeological evidence and surviving antique texts and images, providing a fresh evaluation of the Pharos, its history, and its legacy. The Roman writer Achilles Tatius termed the Pharos a "second Sun"; this expression is explained and explored here for the first time, and has dramatic implications for the nature of the Pharos' light. The volume also explores how the creation of the Pharos was a key stimulus for Alexandrian science and astronomy in antiquity. The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria provides a fascinating new study of this monument of interest to students and scholars of Hellenistic art, architecture, and science, and readers seeking to learn more about one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Genesis of the Pharos

The Fame of the Pharos

The Fate of the Pharos

Fantasies of the Pharos

The Form of the Pharos

The Technical Task of Contriving Tall Towers

The Pharos' Height from the Range of its Light

The Crowning Statue & Other Adornments

The Light of the Pharos

A Framework for Reconstruction

Towards a Virtual Pharos

The Modern Legacy of an Antique Wonder.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Chugg, Andrew Michael Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria

ISBN:

9781032569369

1032569360

9781032569376

1032569379

OCLC:

1401907123

Publisher Number:

99996525605