Characteristics

• Giant statue at Rhodes, in the Aegean Sea (off modern day Turkey)
• At end of 4th century, people of Rhodes wanted to celebrate for successfully defending city against Greek soldiers
• Greeks had left equipment behind and people of Rhodes sold it to build a statue in honor of Helios, (their sun god), for his protection
• Made of bronze, 108 ft high, designed by an architect named Charles, and took 12 yrs to build (finished in 280 B.C.)
• Believed to have been built across the Rhodes Harbor entrance
• It is 1,312 ft across (may have stood in city)
• Toppled by an earthquake in 226 B.C.
• Oracle told them not to rebuild it
• In A.D. 654, a Syrian prince captured statue and used the bronze to make coins

Technology

• Chares of Lindos was the architect
• Took 12 years to finish
• First, the pedestal was make out of white marble
• Stone columns were made to increase the stability in the statue
• Iron was then used to make the frame of the body
• Lastly, bronze became the outer coat of the statue
• For the bronze skin, the plates were shaped on the ground first then attached to the framework
• Ramps were used for attaching the plates

Wonder Qualities

• This form of making statues was very original
• The framework of iron and the marble base was a unique and practical way to make large statues
• The most popular modern statue using this style is Auguste Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty