hodes was an island in the Mediterranean close to where Turkey is located today. On this small island were three Greek city-states that were united in 408 B.C.E. to become one. Because Rhodes was located on an important sea route, the island prospered. Throughout its history, Rhodes was under the control of many other nations or city-states. Athens, Sparta, Persia, and Macedonia were some of the Nations that Ruled Rhodes.
In 307 B.C.E., Macedonia attacked Rhodes but was unsuccessful. When the Macedonians retreated, they left a lot of military equipment behind. The people of Rhodes sold this equipment and used the money to build an enormous statue of their sun god, Helios, the main god of the island. The people of Rhodes believed it was Helios who had protected them from the invasion.
It is believed that the statue was begun after the invasion in 304 B.C.E. and took about 12 years to complete. It sat on a stone pedestal that was 50 feet high. The statue itself rose to another 110 feet and probably weighed over 300 tons. The statue was not solid like most statues of the period, but was a framework, or skeleton, of iron with a skin of bronze. Stones were placed inside the framework to add stability to the hollow statue.
In 307 B.C.E., Macedonia attacked Rhodes but was unsuccessful. When the Macedonians retreated, they left a lot of military equipment behind. The people of Rhodes sold this equipment and used the money to build an enormous statue of their sun god, Helios, the main god of the island. The people of Rhodes believed it was Helios who had protected them from the invasion.
It is believed that the statue was begun after the invasion in 304 B.C.E. and took about 12 years to complete. It sat on a stone pedestal that was 50 feet high. The statue itself rose to another 110 feet and probably weighed over 300 tons. The statue was not solid like most statues of the period, but was a framework, or skeleton, of iron with a skin of bronze. Stones were placed inside the framework to add stability to the hollow statue.
The white marble pedestal was built first, and then stone columns were built, and iron rods were sunk into the columns to form and shape the statue. The bronze plates that made up the skin of the statue were formed on the ground in sections and then lifted into place and attached to the framework. The builders used the same technique that was used by the builders of the pyramids to raise the heavy bronze plates to the upper levels of the statue. As they attached the bronze plates and finished the lower levels of the statue, they built a ramp of earth around the structure so that they could carry the plates up the ramp and put them into place. After each level was finished, the ramp was made higher until builders were working on the head of the statue and the rest was completely covered by earth. Once the head was finished, the dirt was removed, the bronze skin was polished, and the statue was completed. No one knows where the statue was placed on the island. For many years people thought that the statute actually straddled the arbor with one foot placed on one shore and the other placed on the opposite shore. The belief was that the ships would then enter the harbor by sailing under the legs of colossus. Most historians no longer believe this. The colossus may have been close to the harbor, or it might have been further inland.
What the statue looked like is also a mystery. However, since we know that the Colossus was cast in the image of Helios, the sun god, and we have sculptures and coins that show how the people thought Helios looked, we can guess how the huge statue might have appeared. Helios is usually shown with long hair, without a beard, and with a crown of spiked rays on his head, similar to the Statue of Liberty. People have theorized that the statue’s arms may have been extended as if to welcome visitors. However, many sculptors depicted Helios as nude, a cloak over his left arm and his right hand shading his eyes. This may very well be how the Colossus appeared.
About 50 years after the Colossus of Rhodes was completed, and earthquake broke the statue off at the knees, and the ruins lay on the ground for many centuries. There was an offer to rebuild the statue, but an oracle said that it should not be rebuilt. In ancient Greece, an oracle was a priest or priestess who was able to talk to a god in order to answer people’s questions about the future or other important matters.
Even the ruins of the Colossus of Rhodes were a source of wonder because of their size and engineering achievement. People traveled to Rhodes just to look at the fallen statue. Eventually invaders took the pieces of the broken Colossus to Syria, where it was melted down and used to produce other items.
About 50 years after the Colossus of Rhodes was completed, and earthquake broke the statue off at the knees, and the ruins lay on the ground for many centuries. There was an offer to rebuild the statue, but an oracle said that it should not be rebuilt. In ancient Greece, an oracle was a priest or priestess who was able to talk to a god in order to answer people’s questions about the future or other important matters.
Even the ruins of the Colossus of Rhodes were a source of wonder because of their size and engineering achievement. People traveled to Rhodes just to look at the fallen statue. Eventually invaders took the pieces of the broken Colossus to Syria, where it was melted down and used to produce other items.
Although the Colossus of Rhodes only lasted about 50 years, it has served as a source of inspiration for many artists. A study of the Statue of Liberty by the French Sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi, will reveal that his creation was similar to the Colossus. The building technique or a hollow metal frame covered by metal plates was used in both statues. Both were about the same size, and both were placed near a harbor. Even the appearances of the two statues were strikingly similar, including a spiked crown.
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