Colossus of Rhodes             

The name of Colossus of Rhodes  is familiar to everyone, and was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and has become along with the Windmills and the coy Rhodian Deer, synonymous with Rhodes.

The Statue of Liberty in New York‘s harbor is said to have been inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes, and is hence sometimes referred to as the New Colossus. The statue itself is built to roughly the same proportions as the Colossus, while the base is much higher.

Seven Wonders of the World

Colossus of Rhodes is part of Seven Wonders of the World, works of art and architecture regarded by ancient Greek and Roman observers as the most extraordinary structures of antiquity. The listing of ancient wonders probably began in ancient Greece in around the 2nd century BC, but the Seven Wonders that were most commonly referred to were listed some time after that. All built in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East area, some time from around 2600 BC up to about AD 476, the Wonders are: (1) The Pyramids of Egypt, at Giza, the oldest of the Seven Wonders and the only ones remaining intact today. (2) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon , near Baghdad, were a mountain-like series of planted terraces. (3) The Statue of Zeus was the central feature of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia , Greece . (4) The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Greece was a huge, elaborate temple to the goddess Artemis. (5) The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus , a monumental marble tomb in Asia Minor , exists only in fragmentary form today. (6) The Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios erected at Rhodes harbor. (7) The Pharos of Alexandria , on an island off Alexandria , Egypt , was a famous ancient lighthouse.

Colossus of Rhodes, enormous bronze statue at the Mandraki harbor entrance on Rhodes island, Greece, one of the Seven Wonders of the World . Built to mark the Rhodian's victory in a siege by Demetrius I, the statue was a representation of the Greek sun god Helios, designed by Chares of Lindos, a Rhodian sculptor, and took 12 years to finish. It was completed in 282 bc, and stood up to 37 m (120 ft) in height. The base was made of white marble and measured an additional 15 m (50 ft) high. The statue was crafted from bronze recovered from machinery and tools left by Demetrius I, with an iron and stone framework.

The story goes that Colossus of Rhodes was constructed in 304BC by sculptor Chares of Lindos. It took twelve years to erect and required so much bronze and iron that it nearly caused the metal market to crash. The huge statue straddled the entrance to the Mandraki Harbor, with incoming ships sailing between its legs. The statue, erected in homage to the Sun God Helios is alleged to have been some 34m (112ft) tall.

However, The Colossus of Rhodes only lasted sixty six (66) years, when a violent earthquake broke its knees and sent it to the ground. Chares came to an equally unfortunate end: he discovered a fault in his arithmetic and killed himself in despair. The locals believed the earthquake was a bad omen and didn't dare move them.

The pieces remained on the ground for nearly 900 years, until Saracens conquered the island in 653 AD, dismembered the fallen giant, and sold him to a Jewish antique dealer who allegedly loaded 900 camels with body parts. Not a single chip of the colossus survives, and no complete copy exists. The actual site of the colossus is the subject of fierce speculation. The suggestion that it straddled Rhodes harbor is unfeasible.

Rhodes Panagia Kastrou

Please visit  Rhodes Photo Album by Verena Struppert