Built: 282 BC

Location: Near harbour of Rhodes, in a Greek island in the Aegean Sea

History:

The island of Rhodes was comprised of three city-states- Ialysos, Kamiros, and Lindos. When the three united to form one territory in 408 BC, they celebrated the occasion by building an enormous statue dedicated to their sun god, Helios. Greek sculptors worked twelve years to build the giant bronze statue and it was completed in 282 BC. The statue stood guard at the harbour entrance for years, overlooking the water.

Rhodes was struck by a strong earthquake in 226 BC, most of the city was damaged, including the Colossus. The statue toppled at the knee and was left in ruins for almost a millennium, until AD 654, when the Arabs invaded Rhodes. They disassembled and sold the remains of the Colossus to a Jewish merchant in Syria as scrap metal. The statue had only stood for a time span of 56 years.

Description:

The appearance of the Colossus of Rhodes has long been misconceived. It was believed that the statue straddled the entrance of the Mandraki harbour. However, the height of the statue and the width of the harbour mouth would have made such a position impossible. Therefore, it is believed that the statue stood on the side of the harbour, or further inland.

The Colossus stood about 33 m (110 ft) tall and produced by Rhodian sculptor, Chares of Lindos. The statue had a base of white marble and covered with an outer bronze skin. The interior was hollow, supported by stone blocks and iron bars. It weighted about 300 tonnes (295 tons).

Interesting Facts:

• This Ancient Wonder inspired French sculptor, Auguste Bratholdi, to make his famous work, the Statue of Liberty
• Ptolemy III Eurgetes of Egypt offered to cover the cost of restoring the fallen statue but his proposal was declined because an oracle counseled against the idea
• It is believed that it took 900 camels to transport the pieces of the Colossus from Rhodes to Syria
• The Colossus was cast entirely from metal taken from the war engines of the Macedonians abandoned after they were defeated in a great siege shortly after the union of the inhabits