Moreover, the fallen Colossus would have blocked the harbor entrance. Given the height of the statue and the width of the harbour mouth, this picture is rather impossible than improbable. It has long been believed that the Colossus stood in front of the Mandraki harbour, one of many in the city of Rhodes, straddling its entrance. Let us clear a misconception about the appearance of the Colossus. It is said that the fragments had to be transported to Syria on the backs of 900 camels. They disassembled the remains of the broken Colossus and sold them to a Jew from Syria. And when it fell, "few people can make their arms meet round the thumb", wrote Pliny.įor almost a millennium, the statue lay broken in ruins. When the Colossus was finished, it stood about 33 meters (110 ft) high. To reach the higher parts, an earth ramp was built around the statue and was later removed. The structure was gradually erected as the bronze form was fortified with an iron and stone framework. The base was made of white marble, and the feet and ankle of the statue were first fixed. To build the Colossus of Rhodes, the workers cast the outer bronze skin parts. It was a symbol of unity of the people who inhabited that beautiful Mediterranean island of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes was not only a gigantic statue. ![]() "But even lying on the ground, it is a marvel", said Pliny the Elder. Yet the Colossus of Rhodes earned a place in the famous list of Wonders. The task was assigned to the sculptor Chares of Lindos, a pupil of Lysippos himself, and twelve years (from 304 to 292 BC) were needed to complete it.įrom the building its destruction lies a time span of merely 56 years. The Rhodians decided to express their pride by building a triumphal statue of their favorite god, Helios. When Demetrios was defeated, he abandoned all his siege machinery on Rhodes. Its history begins with the siege of Demetrios Poliorketes, successor of Alexander the Great, in 305 BC. It is still hoped that a new Colossus of Rhodes will become a reality in the future.The Colossus of Rhodes is familiar to almost everyone. This project is in the planning stage and requires an estimated 200 million euros to complete. The most recent project idea is to build a massive 328 foot light installation on the site as a modern version of the Colossus. There has been a lot of talk of a new version of the Colossus of Rhodes to be rebuilt on the same site which would become a major international tourist attraction. Several accounts give credence to the idea that it was salvaged for scrap at this time. The Colossus lay in place for nearly 900 years until Rhodes was invaded by Muslim armies. Thus, its destruction in a matter of seconds in a mighty earthquake would have been very frightening for the people of Rhodes. ![]() The Colossus was seen as a symbol of great power and human achievement. It is likely that the deaths caused by the earthquake would have been attributed to the anger of the gods and contributed to the decision to leave it in place on the ground, where the gods wanted it. At the time some people wanted to repair and rebuild the Colossus but others took the view that its construction had angered the gods who had chosen to destroy it. A massive earthquake hit Rhodes in 226 BC which broke the Colossus at the ankles and left it toppled on the ground. Destruction of the ColossusĪlthough the Colossus of Rhodes was a major tourist attraction for over 900 years, the beginning of its destruction began far earlier, when it was just 56 years old. One such record states that he killed himself due to the shame caused by a minor flaw in the statue although this is dismissed by many historians as just a myth. Some historians believe that he committed suicide. It is widely believed that he died shortly before the completion of his greatest work. The Colossus was cast in Bronze by the great Greek sculptor Chares of Lindos. Homer believed that the chariot was pulled by four solar steeds. He is said to ride a chariot of the sun around the Earth. In Greek mythology Helios was the sun god. The Colossus was a massive statue dedicated to the Greek Titan, Helios. The sale of this equipment provided the money for the people of Rhodes to construct the Colossus. The city was able to withstand the siege of 40,000 soldiers.Īfter several failed attempts to gain access to the well defended city, by both land and sea, the invading army left, abandoning their equipment. It was erected to celebrate victory over the army of Cypress which attempted a siege of Rhodes in 305 BC. ![]() The Ancient Wonder was completed around 280 BC. The Colossus of Rhodes was a 98 foot high statue which towered over the Greek Island of Rhodes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |