Why was the Parthenon not one of the 7 wonders ?

I can not understand why the Parthenon 432 BC was not made one of the

( so expensive it lead to a war )

Which war do you have in mind?

That's an odd conclusion, I don't see the connection.

Too expand a bit:

 

The key underlying cause of the war: Spartan jealousy of Athens and her empire/league.

 

The proximate causes of the war:

Substantial miscalculations on the part of Pericles: First, the apparent belief that a Corinthian victory over Corcyra would reduce or threaten Athenian naval superiority. Secondly underestimating the latent hostility to Athens at Sparta.

And finally Sparta�s decision to dictated terms for avoiding war, in violation of the 30 years peace.

I just don�t see where you can insert the cost of the Parthenon.

Edited by conon394 - 12-Jul-2006 at 14:08

yeah, but the collosseum is actually still standing...

Edited by Aelfgifu - 12-Jul-2006 at 14:26

If I'm not mistaken, the list of 7 wonders was to serve as a "travel guide" for Athenians, i.e. great places that it was worthy for Athenians to visit. That's why the Parthenon was not in the list; it was in Athens.

Parthenon is certainly impressive, but I doubt its in anyway better then say the Pyramids. Or the hanging gardens of Babylon.

Hey, you are preaching to the converted here. I visited the Parthenon last year and was awed by it as much as anybody.

The Temple of Artemis, one of the original seven wonders, was larger than Parthenon and was also of Greek Architecture. If it were still standing, it could be greater than the Parthenon, although the exact appearance is only speculative.

One imaginateion of the temple:
http://www.billmunnsgallery.com/images/SWGTDE3.jpg

Originally posted by Romanus Maximus Sparten, I agree with you. I am not saying the great pyramid is not impressive. I have not seen it. But judging by what I have read, and also the proportions of it ( it was the tallest building in the world until the Eiffel tower was built at the end of the 20th Century ) You would have to be stupid not to be impressed by it.   But I think the Parthenon must be one of the most beautiful buildings ever built.   Even though I am against the modern restoration of ancient buildings, I would love to see it completely restored. It would be incredible.

Basically the Parthenon survived thousands of years suffering from earthquakes and time. However in the 19th centrury, when the turkish forces of Athens were surrounded by various allied forces a mistake fired a cannonball that hit the firepowder stored inside the parthenon. What you see today is the result of that explosion. It will probably take more than half a millenium to restore it and when it is done it won't even be close to its original view. :(

Imperator, yes I also agree that the Temple of Artemis, must have been very impressive, and beautiful. But I still think the Parthenon was the greater. The Parthenon had magnificent freizes, and sculptures that adorned the exterior. And the proportioning of every aspect of the building followed a set of precise architectural rules, which led to a perfectly proportioned building.

Nobody today can judge whether the Parthenon was greater in appearance than the Temple of Artemis, which was built after the Parthenon and must have incorporated all of the latest architectural techniques.