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The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria: Second Sun and Seventh Wonder of Antiquity

The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria: Second Sun and Seventh Wonder of Antiquity

Paperback

Series: Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies

Transportation GeneralAncient RomeArchitecture History

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ISBN10: 1032569379
ISBN13: 9781032569376
Publisher: Routledge
Published: Dec 26 2025
Pages: 230
Weight: 0.99
Language: English

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.

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Architecture History