MAUSOLEUM of HALICARNASSUS (Bodrum)
King Maussollos
in Lucian's "Dialogues of the Dead"
One of the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World is the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Bodrum ), built for the
king Mausollos of Caria, that died 353 B.C. by his wife and sister Queen
Artemisia. The description of the composition is preserved in Pliny's
Natural History, where rough figures
of the Mausoleum are described. When the Persians
expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria,
Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the
help of local governors or rulers -- the Satraps. Like many other provinces, the
kingdom of Caria in the western part of Asia Minor (Turkey) was so far from the
Persian capital that it was practically autonomous. From 377 to 353 BC, king
Mausollos of Caria reigned and moved his capital to Halicarnassus. Nothing is
exciting about Maussollos life except the construction of his tomb. The project
was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have
started during the king's lifetime. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC,
three years after Maussollos death, and one year after Artemisia's.
She hired the architect Pythius to design the building. She also hired the
four famous sculptors, Scopas, Bryaxis, Leochares, and Timotheus. Each sculptor
was responsible for one side of the building. The statue on top was created by
Pythius, according to Pliny the Elder. Scholars believe that the Mausoleum was
started before Mausollos' death in 353 BC.
The basic plan for the building was a large temple with a 24-step pyramid on
top. The total height of the Mausoleum was 45m (140 ft). This was composed of
the 32m (99 ft) base, 7m (22 ft) 24-step pyramid, and 6m (19 ft) statue of a
chariot on top. Pliny the Elder said that the total periphery of the building
was 440 feet. He also said that the North and South sides were 64 feet long. He also claimed that the other two sides were shorter, but if that was so then the
sides would not add up to 440 feet. A Danish archaeological dig between 1966 and
1977 found that the Mausoleum was probably 100 feet by 120 feet. Pliny also
wrote that there were 36 columns around the outside of the building.
Each side of the Mausoleum was
decorated with friezes of battle scenes from the Greek war with the
Amazons.
There were also two other types of friezes. One showed a chariot race and the
other showed a battle between Lapiths and centaurs. There also were
free-standing sculptures around the outside of the building and on the top.
Fragments of the statues and friezes can be seen in the British Museum !!!.
There have been many excavations done at the site of the Mausoleum. Charles
Guichard wrote about workers discovering the burial chamber in 1522. He said
that the sarcophagus was made out of alabaster, he also described bits of gold
cloth that were left over from the burial. Sir Charles Newton excavated the site
in 1856 - 1858. He discovered an Ionic capital, part of the chariot, and two
larger-than-life-size statues. He speculated that the statues were
of Mausollos
and Artemisia. In 1966 - 1977 there was a Danish excavation that discovered the
remains of an offering of food for Mausollos. They found whole sheep, goats,
oxen, some chickens, doves, a goose, and a large amount of eggs.
The Mausoleum was destroyed between AD 1000 and AD 1400, probably by an
earthquake. In 1494 the Knights of St. John of Malta built an immense castle
during the crusades. This castle was built with blocks from the Mausoleum and
the lime mortar was made out of burnt marble from some of the statues and
columns. Today, that castle still exists and the parts from the Mausoleum are
still visible.