Canon of the Seven Wonders of the World by Philo Byzantius

The canon of seven wonders of the world, published in 1640 according to the Byzantine manuscript under a name of Philo Byzantius, long time was attributed to the Alexandrian author of the 2nd century BC Philo Mechanicus, but now it is recognized as late antique or early Byzantine rhetorical exercise. Article studies sources of origin of this literary monument at the base of which, according to the author, earlier text of the Hellenismus, from which the unknown rhetorician, which was perhaps studying or teaching at the well-known Gaza’s rhetorical school (the V–VI centuries AD), borrowed the technical details concerning a construction and materials of the described miracles lies, having added them with own verbal praises. The assumption, according to which Philo Mechanicus could be the author of the lost initial, more similar composition, really is reasoned. The text which reached us is of great value for historians of culture as the catalog devoted to cultural heritage of Greeks and nations of the East. The catalog valuable not only a septenary canon, almost completely coincident with accepted during Modern Age, but the fragmentary technical data which are borrowed. Article is supplemented with the author’s translation of this monument into Russian.