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| The Colossus of Rhodes, by Marten van Heemskerck |
Legend
has it that the island of Rhodes emerged from the bottom of the sea
and it was given by Zeus to the God Helios as a gift. But how did the
ancient Rhodians chose to honor him? By creating one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes! It was a
massive statue of a male figure built around
280 B.C. Much about the monument remains
covered in mystery, as it was destroyed in
226 B.C.
Its
construction lasted 12 years. The Colossus of Rhodes was about 110
feet tall. The bronze coating was fixed onto an iron frame and as it
was hollow inside, the workers placed heavy stones in the legs in
order to ensure the statue’s stability. While we do not know what
the statue looked like, we do have a good idea of what the head and
face looked like, as it was similar to the images found on
contemporary Rhodian coins.
The
Colossus was imagined with one foot on either side of the harbour
mouth with ships passing under it. However, the mechanics of the
situation reveal that the Colossus could not have been built with its
legs apart because the statue was made of bronze and it would
collapse from its own weight.
Fifty
six years after its completion, a major earthquake hit Rhodes,
toppling over the Colossus. Ptolemy III Euergetes offered to pay for
its reconstruction, but a prophecy by the oracle of Delphi frightened
the Rhodians into believing that they had offended Helios. They
chose not to rebuild it, leaving it lying on the ground for some 900
years. Then a Syrian prince captured Rhodes and the Colossus’s
remains were said to have been sold to a merchant who very probably
melted these down to make coins.
