Colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes was a very tall statue built on the island of Rhodes in ancient Greece. It was made to honor the sun god Helios and to celebrate the people of Rhodes winning a big battle against a large army. The statue was built by a man named Chares of Lindos around the year 280 BC.

The Colossus was very impressive—about 33 meters (108 feet) tall, which is almost two-thirds the height of today’s Statue of Liberty. That made it the tallest statue in the ancient world! Sadly, the statue fell down during a big earthquake in 226 BC. Even though pieces of it were saved, the people of Rhodes decided not to rebuild it.

Many years later, in 653, a group led by a leader named Mu'awiya I took over Rhodes, and the remaining parts of the Colossus were taken away. Today, people sometimes talk about building a new statue, but we still don’t know exactly where the original one stood. It remains one of the famous Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Siege of Rhodes

Main article: Siege of Rhodes (305–304 BC)

In the late fourth century BC, the island of Rhodes worked with Ptolemy I of Egypt to stop a big attack from their enemy, Antigonus I Monophthalmus. In 304 BC, help arrived from Ptolemy, and the attacking army led by Demetrius I of Macedon had to leave. They left a lot of tools behind, which the people of Rhodes sold for 300 talents. They used that money to build a very tall statue of their god, Helios. A sculptor named Chares was chosen to build it. He had experience with big statues, and his teacher, Lysippos, had even made a huge statue of Zeus in Tarentum.

Construction

Construction of the Colossus of Rhodes began in 292 BC. The statue was built with iron bars and bronze plates for its skin, and its inside was filled with stone blocks. It stood on a tall white marble pedestal near the harbor entrance in Rhodes. The statue was about 32 metres (105 feet) tall.

The materials used to build it came from weapons left behind by an enemy army. After twelve years of work, the statue was finished in 280 BC. It was one of the tallest statues of the ancient world.

Collapse (226 BC)

Further information: 226 BC Rhodes earthquake

The Colossus stood for 54 years before an earthquake in 226 BC caused much damage in Rhodes, including to the harbor and buildings. The statue broke at the knees and fell to the ground. A ruler named Ptolemy III offered to help rebuild the statue, but the people of Rhodes decided not to, believing they might upset the sun god Helios.

Fallen state (226 BC to 653 AD)

After the statue fell to the ground during an earthquake, it stayed there for over 800 years. Even broken, the statue was so amazing that many people traveled just to see it.

Two famous writers talked about the fallen statue. Strabo, a Greek writer, described the city of Rhodes and mentioned the statue, noting that it had fallen and broken but was still considered one of the great wonders of the ancient world. Pliny the Elder, another writer, also wrote about the statue. He said it was very tall—about 70 cubits high—and even on the ground, it was still amazing to see. He described how big the statue's fingers were and how huge its thumb was.

Destruction of the remains

The fate of what was left of the statue is not known for certain. The island of Rhodes often experienced earthquakes, which likely damaged any remaining parts of the statue. By the 4th century, the people of Rhodes had become Christians, making it unlikely that they would repair an old statue linked to an ancient god.

Stories say that during a raid by Arab forces in 653, the remains of the statue were taken apart and sold. However, historians think this story might not be true and could have been used to send a message at the time. Because of the many earthquakes and possible reuse of the metal over time, it is doubtful that much of the statue was left by the time of the raid.

Posture

The idea that the Colossus of Rhodes stood with one foot on each side of the harbour is a story from later times. People imagined it this way because of old writings and poems. For example, a famous writer named William Shakespeare wrote about someone "bestriding the narrow world Like a Colossus." Even a poem by Emma Lazarus at the base of the Statue of Liberty mentions a "brazen giant of Greek fame" standing between lands.

But experts believe this image is not possible. If the statue had really stood across the harbour, it would have blocked the water and the people of Rhodes could not have used their harbour while it was being built or after it fell. Also, the statue was made of bronze and would have been too heavy to stand that way without falling over.

Researchers think the statue may have stood in a different, more realistic way. We do not really know how it looked, but we do know that the head likely had curly hair, like pictures from that time show.

Possible locations

People often imagine the Colossus of Rhodes standing with one foot on each side of the harbor, but this idea is not supported by real evidence. The exact spot where the statue stood is still discussed by experts. Some think it may have been near two pillars at the entrance to Mandraki port today.

There is a special floor made of sandstone blocks inside the Fortress of St Nicholas, close to the harbor. Some curved marble pieces found there might have been part of a base for the Colossus, resting on those sandstone blocks.

One archaeologist, Ursula Vedder, suggests the Colossus might not have been by the harbor at all. Instead, she thinks it could have been part of the Acropolis of Rhodes, on a hill overlooking the port. At the top of this hill are ruins of a big temple, usually linked to the god Apollo. Vedder believes this area may have been a place to honor Helios and that part of the temple’s stone base could have held up the Colossus.

Modern Colossus projects

In 2008, a report said that a modern version of the Colossus would be built at the harbor entrance. It would be a giant light sculpture made from melted-down weapons from around the world and cost up to €200 million.

In 2015, some European architects announced plans for a new Colossus that would stand between two piers at the harbor entrance. This new statue would be 150 meters tall, five times taller than the original, and cost about US$283 million. It would include a cultural center, a library, an exhibition hall, and a lighthouse powered by solar panels. However, these plans were never carried out, and the project's website is no longer online.^{[original research?]}