The Colossus of Rhodes

A 19th Century artistic impression of The Colossus of Rhodes.

Just one week ago, as I traversed the eastern coast of Rhodes—the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece—my imagination was drawn toward a subject that I have pondered time and time again: The Colossus of Rhodes. Ever since I first read about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Rhodes' Colossus had always been my favorite. 

A towering statue of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, which stood at the entrance of the Mandraki harbor entrance to the city of Rhodes; an object that inspired awe on account of its colossal dimensions. An icon in its time, and long after, which—along with all but one of the other wonders—has disappeared, without a trace. The Colossus, or at least my idea of it, epitomizes the depth and dimension of the ancient world, its wonders, and its myths.

When the inhabitants of Rhodes successfully prevented a massive Cypriot invasion of the island in 304 BC, it was decided that a celebratory statue should be constructed in honor of their patron god, Helios. Twelve years later, under the direction of Chares of Lindos, construction began. Another twelve years would pass before the work would be complete: ancient sources describe the construction of iron tie bars, upon which brass plates were fixed to form the figure's skin. The upper portions of the structure were built with the aid of a large earthen mound and the interior was filled with massive stone blocks. 

By 280 BC, the Colossus cast the full extent of its immense shadow over the port of Rhodes. Standing atop a 15-meter (49-foot) base pedestal, the statue itself measured over 30 meters (98 feet) in height—making it perhaps the tallest statue in the ancient world.

The Colossus, straddling the harbor as it was imagined in a 16th-century
engraving by Martin Heemskerck.

Its glory was short-lived, however: the Colossus stood for just 56 years, until it snapped at the knees during the Rhodes earthquake of 226 BC. Fearing they had offended their patron god, the Rhodians opted against rebuilding the fallen structure.

Nevertheless, its ruins laid on the ground for more than 800 years, inspiring travelers to come and marvel at the scale of its features. Pliny the Elder, a decorated Roman philosopher and military commander, observed that the fingers alone were larger than most statues—and that few people could wrap their arms around the thumb.

According to legend, the statue was cast down and sold during the Arab invasion of Rhodes in 654. Though there is no confirmation of that story, all traces of the Colossus disappeared—transforming it into an even greater source of wonder and myth. For centuries, it was widely believed that the Colossus straddled Mandraki harbor—a misconception disproven by modern methods of analysis. In fact, it was that false image that inspired The Rhodes Colossus, an iconic satirical art piece from the "Scramble for Africa" at the end of the 19th century.

And so, as I stood at the mouth of Rhodes' harbor, looking upon two modern statues of a male & female deer that now stand where the Colossus once did, I couldn't help but wonder.

Mandraki harbor today. The Colossus' (more modest) modern replacement can be seen on the left side of the image.