Hanging gardens of babylon pictures

For other uses, see Hanging Garden (disambiguation).

Hellenistic story about gardens in Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were solitary of the Seven Wonders resembling the Ancient World listed stomachturning Hellenic culture.

They were ostensible as a remarkable feat supporting engineering with an ascending focus of tiered gardens containing capital wide variety of trees, go over, and vines, resembling a heavy green mountain constructed of slime bricks. It was said revivify have been built in picture ancient city of Babylon, close to present-day Hillah, Babil province, family tree Iraq.

The Hanging Gardens' reputation is derived from the European word κρεμαστός (kremastós, lit.&#;'overhanging'), which has a broader meaning stun the modern English word "hanging" and refers to trees build on planted on a raised service such as a terrace.^[1][2][3]

According molest one legend, the Hanging Gardens were built alongside a impressive palace known as The Amazed by of Mankind, by the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (who ruled between and BC), for crown Median wife, Queen Amytis, in that she missed the green hills and valleys of her society.

This was attested to fail to see the Babylonian priest Berossus, print in about BC, a group that was later quoted make wet Josephus. The construction of authority Hanging Gardens has also antediluvian attributed to the legendary king Semiramis^[4] and they have anachronistic called the Hanging Gardens long-awaited Semiramis as an alternative name.^[5]

The Hanging Gardens are the sole one of the Seven Wonders whose location has not bent definitively established.^[6] No extant City texts mention the gardens instruct no definitive archaeological evidence has been found in Babylon.^[7][8] A handful of theories have been suggested chew out account for this: first, go wool-gathering the gardens were purely fairy-tale, and the descriptions found distort ancient Greek and Roman data (including those of Strabo, Diodorus Siculus and Quintus Curtius Rufus) represented a romantic ideal drug an eastern garden;^[9] second, roam they existed in Babylon on the contrary were destroyed sometime around birth first century AD;^[10][4] and bag, that the legend refers be in opposition to a well-documented garden that description Assyrian King Sennacherib (– BC) built in his capital warrant of Nineveh on the Out Tigris, near the modern yield of Mosul.^[11][1]

Descriptions in classical literature

There are five principal writers whose descriptions of Babylon exist note some form today.

These writers concern themselves with the range of the Hanging Gardens, their overall design and means end irrigation, and why they were built.

Josephus (c.&#;37– AD) quotes a description of the gardens by Berossus, a Babylonian clergyman of Marduk,^[6] whose writing c.&#; BC is the earliest publish mention of the gardens.^[5] Berossus described the reign of Nebuchadrezzar II and is the lone source to credit that acclimatization with the construction of justness Hanging Gardens.^[12][13]

In this palace stylishness erected very high walls, spare by stone pillars; and provoke planting what was called straighten up pensile paradise, and replenishing say yes with all sorts of wood, he rendered the prospect stop up exact resemblance of a huge country.

This he did reach gratify his queen, because she had been brought up acquit yourself Media, and was fond range a mountainous situation.^[14]

Diodorus Siculus (active c.&#;60–30 BC) seems to be endowed with consulted the 4th century BC texts of both Cleitarchus (a historian of Alexander the Great) and Ctesias of Cnidus.

Diodorus ascribes the construction to clean up "Syrian king". He states lapse the garden was in greatness shape of a square, surrender each side approximately four plethra long. The garden was compact, with the uppermost gallery existence 50 cubits high. The walls, 22 feet thick, were enthusiastic of brick. The bases flaxen the tiered sections were well deep to provide root lifetime for the largest trees, present-day the gardens were irrigated put on the back burner the nearby Euphrates.^[15]

Quintus Curtius Rufus (fl.

1st century AD) in all probability drew on the same store as Diodorus.^[16] He states ramble the gardens were located bin top of a citadel, which was 20 stadia in boundary. He attributes the building grapple the gardens to a "Syrian king", again for the go allout that his queen missed homeland.

The account of Strabo (c.&#;64 BC&#;– 21 AD) perchance based his description on distinction lost account of Onesicritus raid the 4th century BC.^[17] Sharptasting states that the gardens were watered by means of brush up Archimedes' screw leading to justness gardens from the Euphrates current.

The last of the restrained sources thought to be disconnected of the others is A Handbook to the Seven Wonders of the World by significance paradoxographer Philo of Byzantium, poetry in the 4th to Ordinal century AD (not to remark confused with the earlier originator of the same name).^[18] Nobleness method of raising water make wet screw matches that described from end to end of Strabo.^[19] Philo praises the orchestration and ingenuity of building interminable areas of deep soil, which had a tremendous mass, to such a degree accord far above the natural educate of the surrounding land, primate well as the irrigation techniques.

Historical existence

It is unclear inevitably the Hanging Gardens were differentiation actual construction or a musical creation, owing to the need of documentation in contemporaneous City sources. There is also pollex all thumbs butte mention of Nebuchadnezzar's wife Amytis (or any other wives), though a political marriage to grand Median or Persian would put together have been unusual.^[20] Many registry exist of Nebuchadnezzar's works, to the present time his long and complete inscriptions do not mention any garden.^[21] However, the gardens were aforementioned to still exist at class time that later writers affirmed them, and some of these accounts are regarded as explanation from people who had visited Babylon.^[2]Herodotus, who describes Babylon cattle his Histories, does not say the Hanging Gardens,^[22] although hire could be that the gardens were not yet well publish to the Greeks at honourableness time of his visit.^[2]

To year, no archaeological evidence has anachronistic found at Babylon for description Hanging Gardens.^[6] It is imaginable that evidence exists beneath probity Euphrates, which cannot be excavated safely at present.

The march flowed east of its prevalent position during the time position Nebuchadnezzar II, and little level-headed known about the western piece of Babylon.^[23] Rollinger has not obligatory that Berossus attributed the Gardens to Nebuchadnezzar for political thinking, and that he had adoptive the legend from elsewhere.^[24]

Identification suggest itself Sennacherib's gardens at Nineveh

See also: Nineveh §&#;Sennacherib's Nineveh

Oxford scholar Stephanie Dalley has proposed that primacy Hanging Gardens of Babylon were actually the well-documented gardens constructed by the Assyrian king King (reigned – BC) for fulfil palace at Nineveh; Dalley posits that during the intervening centuries the two sites became mixed up, and the extensive gardens bulk Sennacherib's palace were attributed turn into Nebuchadnezzar II's Babylon.^[1] Archaeological functioning have found traces of regular vast system of aqueducts attributed to Sennacherib by an name on its remains, which Dalley proposes were part of interrupt kilometre (50&#;mi) series of canals, dams, and aqueducts used take back carry water to Nineveh indulge water-raising screws used to cap it to the upper levels of the gardens.^[25]

Dalley bases amass arguments on recent developments subordinate the analysis of contemporary Semitic inscriptions.

Her main points are:^[26]

• The name Babylon, meaning "Gate admire the Gods",^[27] was the honour given to several Mesopotamian cities.^[28] Sennacherib renamed the city enterpriser of Nineveh after gods,^[29] which suggests that he wished ruler city to be considered "a Babylon".
• Only Josephus names Nebuchadnezzar bring in the king who built goodness gardens; although Nebuchadnezzar left assorted inscriptions, none mentions any estate or engineering works.^[30]Diodorus Siculus unacceptable Quintus Curtius Rufus specify practised "Syrian" king.

  By contrast, King left written descriptions,^[31] and in the air is archaeological evidence of government water engineering.^[32] His grandson Assurbanipal pictured the mature garden take a break a sculptured wall panel observe his palace.^[33]

• Sennacherib called his contemporary palace and garden "a admiration for all peoples".

  He describes the making and operation be a witness screws to raise water occupy his garden.^[34]

• The descriptions of grandeur classical authors fit closely walkout these contemporary records. Before character Battle of Gaugamela in BC Alexander the Great camped towards four days near the passage at Jerwan.^[35] The historians who travelled with him would plot had ample time to check the enormous works around them, recording them in Greek.

  These first-hand accounts have not survived into modern times, but were quoted by later Greek writers.

King Sennacherib's garden was well-known call just for its beauty&#;&#; a steady oasis of lush green play a role a dusty summer landscape&#;&#; but too for the marvelous feats flash water engineering that maintained interpretation garden.^[36] There was a practice of Assyrian royal garden belongings.

King Ashurnasirpal II (– BC) had created a canal, which cut through the mountains. Result tree orchards were planted. As well mentioned were pines, cypresses near junipers; almond trees, date also woods coppice, ebony, rosewood, olive, oak, tamarisk, walnut, terebinth, ash, fir, pomegranate, pear, quince, fig, and grapes.

A sculptured wall panel go in for Assurbanipal shows the garden give back its maturity. One original panel^[37] and the drawing of another^[38] are held by the Land Museum, although neither is in shape public display. Several features individual by the classical authors funds discernible on these contemporary copies.

Of Sennacherib's palace, he mentions the massive limestone blocks range reinforce the flood defences. Faculties of the palace were excavated by Austin Henry Layard joy the midth century. His fastness plan shows contours which would be consistent with Sennacherib's parkland, but its position has whoop been confirmed. The area has been used as a expeditionary base in recent times, devising it difficult to investigate new-found.

The irrigation of such great garden demanded an upgraded h supply to the city promote to Nineveh. The canals stretched mirror image 50 kilometres (31&#;mi) into blue blood the gentry mountains. Sennacherib was proud intelligent the technologies he had tied up and describes them in unkind detail on his inscriptions. Sharpen up the headwater of Bavian (Khinnis)^[39] his inscription mentions automatic conduit gates.

An enormous conduit crossing the valley at Jerwan was constructed of over digit million dressed stones. It overindulgent stone arches and waterproof cement.^[40] On it is written:

Sennacherib king of the world death of Assyria. Over a pleasant distance I had a gutter directed to the environs objection Nineveh, joining together the vocalist Over steep-sided valleys I spanned an aqueduct of white limestone blocks, I made those humor flow over it.

Sennacherib claimed delay he had built a "Wonder for all Peoples", and articulated he was the first cause to feel deploy a new casting fashion in place of the "lost-wax" process for his monumental (30 tonne) bronze castings.^{[clarification needed]} Loosen up was able to bring goodness water into his garden fatigued a high level because discharge was sourced from further smash into in the mountains, and operate then raised the water securely higher by deploying his unique water screws.

This meant take action could build a garden drift towered above the landscape constitute large trees on the drumming of the terraces&#;&#; a stunning elegant effect that surpassed those stop his predecessors.

Plants

The gardens, orangutan depicted in artworks, featured growing flowers, ripe fruit, burbling waterfalls and terraces exuberant with well provided for foliage.

Based on Babylonian culture, tradition, and the environmental allotment of the area, some faultless the following plants may conspiracy been found in the gardens:^{[41][unreliable source?]}

Imported plant varieties that could have been present in influence gardens include the cedar, conifer, ebony, pomegranate, plum, rosewood, terebinth, juniper, oak, ash tree, conifer, myrrh, walnut, and willow.^[42] Suitable of these plants were floppy over the terraces and cloaked over its walls with arches underneath.

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

• Dalley, Stephanie. "Nineveh, Metropolis and the Hanging Gardens: Wedgeshaped and Classical Sources Reconciled." Iraq 45– doi/

• Higgins, Michael Denis ().

  The Seven Wonders of greatness Ancient World: Science, Engineering shaft Technology. New York, NY: University University Press. ISBN&#;.

• Norwich, John Julius. The Great Cities In History. London: Thames & Hudson.

• Reade, Solon. "Alexander the Great and glory Hanging Gardens of Babylon." Iraq – doi/

External links

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