The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria; Second Sun and Seventh Wonder of Antiquity by Andrew Michael Chugg ISBN 9781003437758, 1003437753 instant download

The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria; Second Sun and Seventh Wonder of Antiquity by Andrew Michael Chugg ISBN 9781003437758, 1003437753 instant download

This comprehensive and insightful book brings scientific rigour to the problems of reconstructing the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and an understanding of 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 16 centuries until it was 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.