ANST-501 Lessons

I simply cannot believe that another year here at Hogwarts is coming to a close. It has been an absolute pleasure exploring ancient Europe with you! Before we get to your final examinations today, there are a few more topics for us to discuss, most of them a bit lighthearted and all of them fantastical. But however entertaining, do keep in mind that this material could also be on your finals, so please pay close attention!

Other Ancient European Civilizations and Competition

As was mentioned in our first class, there are several other ancient European civilizations that we simply did not have time to cover in this class.

These civilizations, generally speaking, had the same attitudes towards magical practices. In the early days of these civilizations, magic was highly respected, and sometimes feared. Of course, that “fear” was more of a reverence for something not completely understood, not a feeling of terror that would make you cower under your sheets at night. Magic was simply an expected part of life, but it was anything but ordinary. In fact, it was responsible for some of the most amazing feats, stories, and achievements in history. 

Part of this is due to the fact that we are dealing with human history and humans, as you know, never fail to compete with each other. Whether this is on the Quidditch Pitch, the House Cup, the Triwizard Tournament, or simply a lighthearted rivalry between friends, we cannot help but try to outdo each other. The same was true for ancient civilisations and their magic users. This human tendency is the reasoning behind many fantastic creations that still live today, and we’ll attempt to talk about a few, namely the ancient wonders of the word and the Voynich manuscript.

The Voynich Manuscript

As Muggles have been led to believe, the Voynich manuscript is a plainly bound vellum book that was created some time between 1404 and 1435 CE in northern Italy, and therefore was likely created during the Italian Renaissance. It features a plethora of illustrations that run the gamut of flora and fauna to astronomy and biology. It is also filled to the brim with completely indecipherable text that not a single linguist has been able to crack. How is it possible that this book was written in the 1400s but we cannot find a single existent language that matches? Well, the answer is simple when you know that the book isn’t from the 1400s at all. 

No, in fact, the book was written far, far earlier than that. While not quite as old as the earliest forms of writing, this book far predates Leonardo DaVinci. The fairly recent age is merely a “cover story,” that was fabricated at great length in order to explain the book’s fantastic condition. As I mentioned earlier this year, many books were enchanted in order to be preserved long after they would normally have deteriorated, and the Voynich manuscript is one of these. 

However, while we know what the Voynich manuscript is not, sadly, witches and wizards do not have all the answers. It is almost certainly from a Paleo-European language that has long since died out that has no other extant examples. This leaves magical scholars scratching their heads just as much as Muggles. We generally agree on the possible contents of the book: recipes for potions and remedies, astronomical charts, descriptions of plants (and likely of spells and rituals), but like the Muggles, we can only hypothesize.

It is believed that this was a book created by a foremost scholar at the time (or perhaps a group of scholars), and its contents were meant to be a testament to the magical power and ingenuity of their particular civilisation. If true, the contents of this book would shine a light on ancient magical practices in a way that would revolutionize our magical practices and how we look at our ancestors. However, sadly, until the day comes that it can be deciphered, those secrets that these people worked so hard to showcase, will forever stay hidden away.

Ancient Wonders

Moving along, to other examples of one-upmanship among magic users, we need to revisit some of the things we discussed in class long ago. Last year, I detailed three different ancient wonders of the world, two of which are still in existence (the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Pyramids of Giza), and one that sadly, is not (the Lighthouse at Alexandria).  We also briefly mentioned one or two more, but never got a chance to discuss them, as they were out of our area of study. However, the remaining four wonders were actually all part of the ancient Greek Empire we discussed this year so, without further ado, let’s finally demystify them a bit! Let’s start off with just what constitutes an “ancient wonder.”

As you may already know, the seven ancient wonders of the world (also, more accurately known as the seven wonders of the ancient world) is not the only “master list” of fantastic sites, constructions, or vistas. You may have also heard of the new seven wonders of the world, the seven natural wonders of the world, the twelve wonders of the world and more. However, what sets the original “Ancient Wonders of the World” apart (despite the fact that many of the newer wonders of the world are also quite ancient), is that the list of seven ancient wonders was actually created in ancient times. Writers, philosophers, and leaders in antiquity made the definitive list of ancient wonders, which slightly explains why all of them are clustered together in Africa and the Middle East, as that was the hotbed of civilization at the time. People there did not even know other continents existed, hence why North and South America are completely devoid of ancient wonders. It’s not because there weren’t ancient civilizations, nor things that were wondrous…. just that no one making the list had been there yet.

Interestingly, the original list (compiled by Philo of Byzantium in 225 BCE) was hotly debated even in his time. So, arbitrarily picking only the seven he chose may seem silly to us now. Regardless, we’ll travel back in time to visit the ancient Greek sites on his list. 

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Our first stop, in Greece, is a site already famous for the founding of the Olympic games as well as containing the tomb of the mythical king Pelops: Olympia. The area of Olympia was considered sacred to the top god of their pantheon, Zeus, and therefore worship of him in that area was prevalent. This eventually culminated in a truly towering statute of him being built in 435 BCE. Constructed by the famed Phidias in  combination of gold and ivory over a wooden base, the eventual final product stood over forty feet tall, nearly as tall as the temple the statue was housed in. 

Records of exactly how the statue was destroyed are unclear, as there are multiple competing stories of what happened, but the simplest and most likely explanation stems from neglect and disuse, owing to a proclamation outlawing pagan worship and temples. During that time, this area of Greece would have fallen out of favor, and the statue would not have been cared for or repaired, and thus any natural disaster (or many over time) could have easily destroyed the once-proud statue. 

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Next up we have another feat of construction dedicated to a Greek god, or goddess, in this case. Known throughout the Greco-Roman empire as the pure goddess of the hunt, Artemis was worshipped throughout the empire and had many temples, so what made this one so special? In part, it was because some considered the goddess to have been born nearby, but mostly it was due to the sheer size of the structure, as was the case with most of the wonders. 

For a contemporary reference, the temple was roughly twice the size of the Parthenon, already considered to be quite a feat in its time. The Temple of Artemis, however, was an astounding 225 feet wide and 60 feet tall, with each of the 127 supporting columns intricately and delicately carved to depict the Amazons of ancient Greece in many scenes.

As is fitting for such a sturdy building, it was actually destroyed multiple times! First, it was burned to the ground purposefully in the 4th century BCE, and was then destroyed by a Gothic mob in 267 CE, and finally once more by a Christian mob in 401 CE. Only the foundation and a single pillar still stand on the original site today near Turkey.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Continuing along the line of sheerly enormous buildings, we have the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Though, perhaps it has more in common with the Pyramids of Giza than with the Temple of Artemis, considering it too was meant to house a famed deceased leader. Its construction was begun some time around 350 BCE, meant to house the famous Carian leader, Mausolus and his sister-wife, Artemisia. However, in 353 BCE, before the structure was finished, Mausolus died. His wife and other siblings continued the construction until Artemisia also died, just years later in 355. Even still, the craftsman working on the enormous tomb continued with the construction. Stories say that they did this out of devotion to their former rulers, but also so the unfinished monument -- a stunningly beautiful testament to their great skill -- would be finished. 

And they were not wrong about its beauty or the skill needed to build it. It was a sight to behold in its time. Its marble walls rose 148 feet in the air, each of the four sides sculpted by a different famed and acclaimed sculptor of the time, including Scopas, who had overseen the rebuilding of the Temple of Artemis. 

Sadly, despite surviving rebellions, wars, political conquests, and even direct attacks, a series of many earthquakes, starting in 1100 CE, eventually reduced the mausoleum to rubble. By roughly 1400 CE, there was nothing left to visually identify the great structure that had once stood there. However, short of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Pyramids of Giza, it was the longest standing great wonder of the world. 

The Colossus of Rhodes

Finally, we come to the last wonder of the world, the enormous statue of the sun god Helios, otherwise known as the “Colossus” at the harbor on the island of Rhodes in Greece. Its construction began in 280 BCE, making it the youngest ancient wonder of the world, particularly compared to the pyramids at Giza whose construction began over two thousand three hundred years prior. The statue was constructed of enormous amounts of iron and bronze, and it is typically believed that plates of bronze made up the exterior, with a sturdier iron framework supporting them on the inside. The pedestal itself upon which the statue stood was 49 feet tall, and the statue itself reached 105 feet.

Sadly this impressive hulking colossus did not stand for long, toppling over 54 years later when an earthquake did severe damage to the isle of Rhodes, particularly in the harbor area. It snapped at the knees, and the majority of the body fell and landed in the city itself. Offers were made to repair and restore the statue, but the inhabitants declined due to a prophecy made by the current Pythia (an important figure who we will discuss in more detail next year, if you care to join us).

Oddly enough, the statue -- or better to say the remains of the statue -- were permitted to stay where they lay, with the city diverting around it. The fallen statue, even in its state of disrepair, still brought people from far and wide to see it until an invading Arabic force carted away the remnants in 653 CE.

Conclusion

Of course, as we know, these monuments no longer stand and this book’s true intent is lost to time. As times changed and the Roman Empire spread its influence and prejudices across the continent, opinions on magic also changed - something you have already learned about in History of Magic. It started to become taboo, something to be stamped out, something to be feared.

Eventually these growing opinions resulted in the signing of the Statute of Secrecy in 1689. However, even before the creation of the statute, witches and wizards saw the changes that were starting to happen. One of the most interesting side effects - if you will - of these perceived changes was that witches and wizards created a new pastime - hiding their magic in plain sight, which is far more in line with our experiences today. 

And that brings us to the end of this hopefully entertaining lesson. I’m afraid there is no delaying it any longer… it is time for your finals! In addition to your finals, there is a completely optional assignment which allows you to provide some feedback about this class. Any and all feedback is always welcome!

I do hope that you have enjoyed our discussions about ancient Europe and I further hope that you will continue with me on our journey across the globe next year! We will be covering a vast swath of land in Year Six: the Americas. The Aztecs, Incas, Salish, and much, much more await us!

Image credits here, here, here, here, and here
Original lesson written by Professor Venita Wessex