Why did Greeks ignore some real ancient wonders?

I often wonder about things like you mention! As far as I know,there is little or no mention of many of the great buildings of the past in both Greek and Roman accounts! Even the great pyramids in Egypt it seems received no mention in ancient accounts! The same is true for the Great Wall of China, and Chinese pyramids, etc.

Here is what wikipedia has to say;

"The historian Herodotus (484—ca. 425 BCE), and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (ca. 305—240 BCE) at the Museum of Alexandria, made early lists of Seven wonders but their writings have not survived, except as references. The seven wonders included:

Great Pyramid of Giza
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
Colossus of Rhodes
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The earliest lists had the Ishtar Gate as the seventh wonder of the world instead of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The Greek category was not Wonders but "thaumata"(Greek: Θαύματα), which translates closer to "things to be seen". The list that we know today was compiled in the Middle Ages—by which time many of the sites were no longer in existence. Today, the only ancient world wonder that still exists is the Great Pyramid of Giza."

And just where do we get an objective and not a subjective dating for both Herodotus and Callimachus?
Can we trust the objectivity of those people in the Middle Ages to accurately date a so called ancient report by a then unknown historian with the name Herodotus or one named Callimachus? From what extant source do we find these names?

It really seems that these wonders had to await the Middle Ages, or later for their mention! As far as I know, Alexander the Great is not reported to have mentioned any of them!

Wonder why?

Perhaps it is because they were yet to have been built?

Or is there another reasonable explanation?

Regards,

Edited by opuslola - 28-Apr-2010 at 08:59

Welcome to the site kingbran! Thanks for your response!

In, response, I will also point out that I have looked at numerous maps and depicitions of Egypt, over the years, and have yet to see a pyramid drawn along side of the Nile! Many of these maps have small buildings or other objects often depicted, such as the "pillars / columns of Herakles or Alexander, etc." But not even a simple triangle is ever represented!

It just remains an enigma!

Perhaps someone can present me with a representation of them?

Regards,