Who compiled the list of the Seven Ancient Wonders?
The first reference to the idea is found in History of Herodotus as long ago as the 5th century BC. His list comprised the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens, and the Walls of Babylon among others. Callimachus of Cyrene (305BC-240BC), Chief Librarian of the Alexandria Mouseion, wrote “A Collection of Wonders around the World”. All we know about the collection is its title, for it was destroyed with the Alexandria Library. The current list is sometimes attributed to the ancient poet and historian, Antipater of Sidon, although his list contained the Walls of Babylon in place of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The final list of the Seven Wonders was compiled during the Middle Ages when they were first depicted by the great Dutch architect Maerten van Heemskerck.
