Organize the Sources by Date
These are the historical (or primary) sources I've identified, listed in date order, and equipped with notes to remind me of the basics.
Whenever a Hanging Gardens site author named a primary source, I made a web search to see if I could find the complete text of that source, plus any other useful information about it. This page links to my collections of those source texts.
- The Kuyunjik Relief, c.650 BC
A carved stone plaque possibly showing an aqueduct or a hanging garden in Nineveh, Persia
Kuyunjik was once called Nineveh;
Persia is now called Iran, and was once called Media
- Herodotus, c.450 BC, Histories
Greek historian who claims to have visited Babylon himself
- Ctesias of Cnidus, c.400 BC, History of the Persians (23 books)
also referenced as Persica
and as Assyrica (1st 6 books only)
Greek physician who stayed at the Persian court, often said to give an eye-witness account
Known through Diodorus (below) and Photius
- Clitarchus, c.310-301 BC, History of Alexander
Greek historian (and son of a historian) who used eye-witness accounts, and may also have consulted his father's History of Persia which is also lost
Known through Quintus Curtius (below)
- Megasthenes, c.310 BC
Greek ambassador, geographer and traveller, whose work is lost
Known through Abydenus, whose work is lost but known through Eusebius (below).
- Berossus, c.250 BC? History of the Babylonians
Also referenced as Babylonaica
Babylonian priest-historian who used Babylonian sources and wrote to refute Herodotus and/or the "Grecian Writers" because he considered them inaccurate
Known through Josephus (via Alexander Polyhistor, whose work is lost) and Eusebius
- Philo of Byzantium, c.250 BC? c.150 BC? c.550 AD?? Concerning the Seven Wonders of the World
Also referenced as Peri ton hepta theamaton
A civil engineer whose dates and identity are extremely problematic
- Diodorus Siculus, c.50 BC, Historical Library
Also referenced as Bibliotheca historica
Greek historian (from Sicily) whose description relies heavily on Ctesias (above)
- Strabo, c.22 AD, Geographies
Also referenced as Geographica
Greek historian, geographer and traveller, whose account is based on the writings of Alexander the Great's admirals and military engineers and/or scholar-librarians
- Quintus Curtius Rufus, 31-41 AD, History of Alexander the Great of Macedonia
Roman commoner, soldier and historian, whose description is based heavily on Clitarchus (above)
- Eusebius, 303–c.325 AD, Chronographies and Praeparatio Evengelica
Bishop of Ceasaria and historian, whose description of Babylon amends Berossus with reference to Abydenus, whose own source was Megasthenes (above).