Colossus Of Rhodes Cool Facts On Ancient World Bronze Statue Revealed

The great sculpture, Colossus of Rhodes, was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.It measured 70 cubits which equal 108.3 ft (33 m) long, standing straight above the Aegen Sea. It was planned to be built just near the harbor entering path but then the location was changed.The sculpture was built in such a way that when it collapsed, it broke from its knees and fell backward in the sea as well as on the land. The people who lived in that area believed that this sculpture broke because it offended Helios. Helios was a Greek god of the Sun, part of the Titan pantheon. The statue stood for almost 50-60 years after it was completed before it collapsed due to an earthquake. It was counted in the list of Seven Wonders of the World just because of its sheer size. The whole sculpture had a bronze casting and the core metal used to make the statue was iron to make it last longer.Currently, the proper location of the Colossus of Rhodes is not known. It is known that the statue stood on the island of Rhodes, in Ancient Greece. The sculpture was made in 280 BC. It stood tall wonderfully till 226 BC. There are many theories that question the existence of the structure just like the gardens in Babylon; its existence is still a mystery. People say that such gardens never existed but few people also say that the gardens did exist. Similarly, in the case of the Colossus of Rhodes, it is a must-watch sight in the list of visitors to the island even in ancient times but the actual location of the sculpture is unknown. The location becomes harder to pin today as there are no material remains of the broken statue.Colossus Of Rhodes: LocationThe Colossus of Rhodes is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.The giant statue signifies Greek fame and was the tallest statue that stood in ancient times. It is the statue of Helios who was the ancient Greek Sun god, the son of Titans Hyperion and Theia. The Colossus of Rhodes is believed to stand just beside the Mandrákion harbor area in Rhodes, a Greek island with the same name. Many theories also suggest it stood at the harbor entrance or mouth.The Mandrákion harbor area is perceived to be the proper location of the Colossal statue, however, it cannot be confirmed. Some other archeologists thought that it was part of the Acropolis of Rhodes where Helios was worshipped. The listed statue of Rhodes stood tall at a height of 108.3 ft (33 m) and was chosen as one of the seven wonders. It was a statue dedicated to the Greek god Helios.The Colossus of Rhodes was built in a time span of 12 years by a sculptor named Chares and the timing of construction is approximately between 294-282 BC. The Colossus of Rhodes was listed in the Seven Wonders of the World because the statue was made of bronze and also due to its huge size. The term ‘colossus’ came to mean ‘huge’ after the construction of the statue.To pay respect to the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, a modern colossus is being planned on the island as a symbol for the Greek culture and to create opportunities for the tourism sector. The architects proposing the plan also want the statue to function as a lighthouse. It is proposed to be 500 ft (152.4 m) tall.Colossus Of Rhodes: HistoryThe brazen giant bronze statue, a testament of the widespread cult of the god Helios of ancient Greece was standing from about 280 BC which was 108.3 ft (33 m) high.At that time Rhodes was the main trading port of the eastern Mediterranean in the ancient world. The statue was built by one of the local ancient Rhodians named Chares of Lindos. The statue always has been subjected to sculptor’s speculations and the tourists always wanted to see the colossal statue of the patron god of Rhodes which is also a part of the seven wonders. Sadly, the statue of Rhodes didn’t last long and disintegrated due to a massive earthquake around 226 BC.The construction of the statue was contemplated after a failed siege attempt by Antigonus I. Due to the prosperity of the Rhodes, Antigonus planned a siege of this Greek island. However, Rhodes sided with the ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy I, who sent a relief force to help the Rhodians. As a tribute to the island’s patron and most important deity, the Rhodians thought of building a statue from the remains of a siege tower of bronze left behind by Antigonus I’s troops.For a long time after its collapse in 226 BC, the statue’s remains lay on the island. Until the fallen colossus was sent to Edessa after selling it to a Jewish merchant, as confirmed by sources later. The Arabs were the ones who sold the scraps of one of the large-scale statues of the ancient world. By the middle of the seventh century, the history of its existence came to an end. No ancient sources mention what the statue looked like.Colossus Of Rhodes: SignificanceThe great statue of the Colossus of Rhodes resembles the god of the Sun, Helios, the son of a Titan.The Colossus of Rhodes is believed to stand just beside the Mandrákion harbor which is in the Rhodes only, in Greece. At first, the Colossus of Rhodes was thought to have been built at the harbor entrance. The theory did not seem plausible as the statue cannot stand on a single leg on the harbor entrance, where the width of the Colossus of Rhodes was considered to be the difference between the harbor’s mouth, and it was not easy to maintain the balance of such a huge statue.Also, keep in mind that the ancient sources could not pinpoint the exact location of the statue. Nowadays studies also propose that the Colossus of Rhodes was standing on the harbor mole where the fortress of St. Nicholas once stood. It is believed that the fortress was made with scraps of the ancient colossus. In 1883, a poet called Emma Lazarus dedicated a few lines of her poem to the fanciful images of the Colossus of Rhodes in ‘New Colossus’ to raise funds for the construction of the Statue of Liberty.Colossus Of Rhodes: Design And DimensionsThe huge Colossus of Rhodes was built upon the main base which was made up of marble and it was almost 50 ft (15.24 m).This large Colossus of Rhodes was built by the process of stacking one stone or rock above another. By putting the cut stones one upon another the craftsmen built the rough body structure of Colossus. After this, the workers erected the iron rods on the base and overcoated them with bronze. Ultimately this was the largest sculpture in the world. In 226 BC the sculpture was destroyed due to a massive earthquake. The earthquake hit the Colossus of Rhodes and the huge legs were not able to withstand the tremors and the statue snapped from the knees.The whole broken part fell in the ocean as well which was on its backside and also fell on land and its broken statue remains were found around the harbor. After the Colossus of Rhodes came down, natives of the harbor believed they might have offended Helios by constructing the Colossus of Rhodes.Afterward, when Ptolemy III offered to make the Colossus of Rhodes again the people who lived there were scared of the predictions made by the Oracle of Delphi that any attempt to recreate the structure would result affect the people negatively. Thus if the sculpture was built again then it may bring bad luck for those who lived there. When the fallen parts were searched in the ocean the divers found the fist of the left hand from the Aegen water body. It was almost 170 ft (51.8 m) deep down, as revealed by the divers.

The great sculpture, Colossus of Rhodes, was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.