Rhodes, the largest of the Greek Islands, is known today for its beach resorts, old fortresses, ancient ruins, and remnants of its occupation by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. But during ancient times it had one of the world’s tallest statues at about 108 feet high that became known as the Colossus of Rhodes. It was built in the image of the Greek sun god Helios, and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its height is roughly the same as the Statue of Liberty in New York’s harbor.
Beginnings: In 305 BC, Rhodes was attacked by military and naval forces of Demetrius I of Macedon in a siege that lasted a year and ended when an ally of Rhodes, Ptolemy I of Egypt, sent a relief force that chased off the invaders. Military siege equipment left behind by the invaders was sold with the proceeds used to build the colossus. In 292 BC, Chares of Lindos directed the construction that was said to have used iron bars covered with brass plates derived from melted down weapons to form the body. The interior was filled with stone blocks as the body grew vertically, and the entire statue was mounted on a forty-nine foot pedestal near the entrance to the harbor. It took twelve years to complete.
Earthquake: In 226 BC, fifty-four years after its completion, an earthquake caused the statue to collapse by buckling at the knees. The ruins remained in place near the harbor for over 800 years, and were often visited by philosophers, historians, writers, dignitaries and engineers of the times. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote after visiting the remains that “few men can clasp the thumb in their arms…” Ptolemy III offered to rebuild the statue, but the Rhodians heeded the words of the Oracle of Delphi that they had offended the sun god, and so declined to rebuild it.
The Remains: Since the island endures an average of two serious earthquakes per century, it was not likely that a rebuilt colossus would have survived for very long. By the 4th Century AD, Rhodes became Christianized, and the new order would not have approved of the rebuilding of a pagan-oriented statue. From about 700 AD to 1100 AD the Byzantine Empire face a number of military and naval incursions from the Arab world which at the time was expanding westward through the Mediterranean. The remains of the colossus may have been melted to make coins, weapons, or other tools used to fend off these invasions. According to the Chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor, in 653 AD, an Arab force raided Rhodes and captured the scrap metal as part of its booty. It was then sold to a Jewish merchant from Edessa, who shipped the bronze metal out on a train of 900 camels. Other accounts seem to corroborate this story, but all are traceable to Theophanes, and the entire story remains unconfirmed. Scholars further believe that the remains would likely have been consumed bit by bit for one reason or another before the Arab Wars began.
The Location: The location of the Colossus is also something of a controversy. Renaissance Era writings and engravings picture the Colossus as straddling the entrance to the harbor with ships passing underneath as they enter or exit. However, if that were the case, the harbor would have been closed when the statue collapsed as the debris would have fallen into the water blocking the entrance. Since the Greeks did not have the technology to remove the heavy ruins, it would have remained in the water and not on land for 800 years as described by many different writers of the times. Further, if the legs had been placed far enough apart to reach either side of the entrance, the statue would likely have collapsed under its own weight. Near the harbor entrance is the Fortress of St. Nicholas, that has some marble blocks in it that could have been a part of the base for the colossus. They are a part of the fort’s structure, but appear to have been quarried for a different purpose. At least one archeologist, Ursula Vedder, believes that the colossus was not located near the harbor’s entrance at all, but instead was mounted on a hill called the Acropolis of Rhodes that overlooks the harbor.
Conclusions: In recent times various proposals have been put forth to rebuild the Colossus of Rhodes. One such proposal would be to rebuild it at the harbor entrance using melted down weapons from around the world. Another proposal would be to build a replica that was 490 feet high, or nearly five times the original, that straddled the harbor’s entrance. Neither proposal has come to fruition, however, largely due to the costs ranging from $220 to $285 million. In 1954, renowned artist Salvador Dali painted the picture featured in this blog for the 1956 documentary film, “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”. In 1961, Italian film director Sergio Leone directed a full length feature film entitled “The Colossus of Rhodes”, starring Rory Calhoun, and a cast of Italian actors and actresses.
Sources: Wikipedia, Colossus of Rhodes.