Dinocrates facts for kids
Dinocrates of Rhodes was a famous Greek architect and a special advisor to Alexander the Great. He is well-known for planning the city of Alexandria. He also designed a huge funeral monument for Hephaestion. Plus, he helped rebuild the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. He worked on several other important projects too.
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Dinocrates' Big Ideas
A City on a Mountain?
The ancient writer Vitruvius tells us about one of Dinocrates' most amazing ideas. Dinocrates wanted to carve a giant statue of Alexander the Great into the side of Mount Athos. This huge statue would hold a small city in one hand. With the other hand, it would pour a river into the sea from a giant pitcher.
Alexander liked the idea, but he had a question. He asked Dinocrates how the people living in this mountain city would get food. Dinocrates admitted that he hadn't planned for farms nearby. Food would have to be brought in by sea. Alexander decided against the plan. He chose the site for Alexandria instead. That land was much flatter and better for growing food.
Designing the City of Alexandria
In 332 BC, Alexander chose Dinocrates to lead the planning for a new city. This city was Alexandria, located on the coast of Egypt. Dinocrates designed Alexandria using a special "grid plan." This meant the streets were laid out in a neat pattern, like a checkerboard. This design became very popular for cities built later in the Hellenistic time.
Dinocrates had help with this big project. Cleomenes of Naucratis assisted him. Also, Crates of Olynthus, a skilled engineer, helped. Crates built the city's waterworks and its sewer system. This was very important because the land was low and needed good drainage.
A Grand Monument for a Friend
In the city of Babylon, Dinocrates designed a huge funeral monument. It was for Alexander's general, Hephaestion, who died in 324 BC. Many ancient writers described this amazing structure.
The monument was built of stone, even though stone was hard to find in Babylon. It looked like a Babylonian temple and was six stories tall. The entire monument was covered in gold, making it shine brightly.
Rebuilding a Wonder of the World
Dinocrates also helped rebuild the famous Temple of Artemis. This temple was one of the seven wonders of the world. Sadly, it had been destroyed by a man named Herostratus. He set it on fire on July 21, 356 BC. It's interesting to note that this was said to be the very same night Alexander the Great was born!
Other Important Projects
Dinocrates worked on other projects too. He started a funeral monument for Alexander's father, Philip II. However, it was never finished. He also designed several other cities and temples. Some of these were in places like Delphi and Delos.
Archaeologists have found a very large ancient tomb at Amphipolis. Early findings suggest that Dinocrates might have been the architect of this impressive tomb, discovered in 2012.
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