The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

In 377 BC, the city of Halicarnassus was the capital of a small kingdom along the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor. It was in that year the ruler of this land, Hecatomnus of Mylasa, died, and left control of the kingdom to his son, Mausolus. Hecatomnus, a local satrap to the Persians, had been ambitious and had taken control of several of the neighbouring cities and districts. Mausolus in his time, extended the territory even further so that it finally included most of southwestern Asia Minor.

Mausolus, with his queen Artemisia, ruled over Halicarnassus and the surrounding territory for 24 years. Mausolus, though he was descended from the local people, spoke Greek and admired the greek way of life and government. He founded many cities of Greek design along the coast and encouraged Greek democratic traditions.

Then in 353 BC Mausolus, died, leaving his queen Artemisia, who was also his sister (it was custom in Caria for rulers to marry their own sisters), broken- hearted. As a tribute to him, she desided to build him the most splendidtomb in the known world. It became a structure so famous that Mausolus’s name is now associated with all stately tombs through our modern word “mausoleum”. The building was so beautiful and unique it became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Mausoleum overlooked the city of Halicarnassus for many centuries. It was untouched when the city fell to Alexander the Great in 334 BC and still undamaged after attacks by pirates in 62 and 58 BC. It stood above the city ruins for some 17 centuries.

Then a series of earthquakes shattered the columns and sent the sone chariot crashing to the ground.