The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek sun god Helios. It was built in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name, by a man named Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The statue was created to honor the people of Rhodes for successfully defending their city against an attack by Demetrius I of Macedon. Demetrius had surrounded Rhodes with a large army and navy for a year.
Most descriptions from that time say the Colossus was about 70 cubits tall, which is equal to 33 meters (108 feet). This height was about two-thirds of the modern Statue of Liberty, from the base to the top of its crown. At the time, it was the tallest statue in the ancient world. The statue fell during an earthquake in 226 BC, but some parts of it remained. As the Oracle of Delphi advised, the people of Rhodes did not rebuild the statue. John Malalas claimed that the Roman emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Colossus during his rule, but this was incorrect. The Suda, an ancient Greek encyclopedia, says the people of Rhodes were called Colossaeans because they built the statue on their island.
In 653 AD, an Arab army led by the Muslim general Mu'awiya I captured Rhodes. According to the Chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor, the remains of the fallen statue were completely destroyed and sold.
Since 2008, several plans to build a new Colossus at Rhodes Harbour have been proposed. However, the exact location of the original statue is still debated.
Siege of Rhodes
In the late fourth century BC, the city of Rhodes, which worked together with Ptolemy I of Egypt, stopped a large attack planned by their shared enemy, Antigonus I Monophthalmus.
In 304 BC, a group of ships sent by Ptolemy arrived to help, and Demetrius I of Macedon, who was Antigonus’s son, and his army left the area they were attacking. They left behind much of their equipment used for the siege. To honor their victory, the people of Rhodes sold the abandoned equipment for 300 talents. They used the money to build a very large statue of their protector god, Helios. The construction was led by Chares, a person from Lindos in Rhodes who had experience creating large statues before. His teacher, the sculptor Lysippos, had made a bronze statue of Zeus that was 22 meters (72 feet) tall in Tarentum.
Construction
Construction began in 292 BC. Ancient records, which sometimes disagree, describe the structure as being built with iron bars to which bronze plates were attached to form the outer covering. The interior of the structure, which was placed on a 15-meter-high (about 49-foot) white marble base near the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes, was filled with stone blocks as construction continued. Some sources say the Colossus stood on a breakwater in the harbor. Most descriptions from that time state the statue was about 70 cubits tall, or 32 meters (about 105 feet). Much of the iron and bronze used came from weapons left behind by Demetrius’s army, and the abandoned second siege tower may have been used as scaffolding during construction.
Philo of Byzantium wrote in De septem mundi miraculis that Chares built the statue by casting it in horizontal sections. He described the process as placing "…a large pile of earth around each completed section, burying the finished part under the dirt, and then casting the next section on the same level."
Modern engineers have proposed a theory about how the statue was built, based on technology from that time and accounts from Philo and Pliny, who saw the ruins.
The base of the statue was said to be at least 18 meters (about 59 feet) wide and either circular or octagonal. The feet were carved from stone and covered with thin bronze plates fastened together with rivets. Eight iron bars, placed in a horizontal, radiating pattern, formed the ankles and followed the shape of the legs, becoming smaller as they went up. Curved bronze plates, each about 1.5 meters (60 inches) square with edges turned inward, were joined by rivets through holes made during casting to create rings. The lower plates were 25 millimeters (1 inch) thick up to the knee and 20 millimeters (3⁄4 inch) thick from the knee to the abdomen. The upper plates were 6.5 to 12.5 millimeters (1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch) thick, except at joints like the shoulders and neck, where extra strength was needed.
Archaeologist Ursula Vedder suggested the sculpture was cast in large sections using traditional Greek methods, and Philo’s account does not match what archaeologists have found in ancient Greece.
After twelve years, in 280 BC, the statue was completed. Greek poetry collections have preserved what is believed to be the dedication text on the Colossus:
"To you, O Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes raised this colossus to the heavens. After calming the bronze wave of war, they honored their homeland with the spoils of their enemies. Not only over the sea, but also on land, they established the beautiful light of freedom. For those born from the race of Heracles, dominion is a heritage both on land and sea."
Collapse (226BC)
The statue remained standing for 54 years until an earthquake in 226 BC caused serious damage to much of Rhodes, including the harbor and commercial buildings, which were destroyed. The statue broke at the knees and fell onto the land. Ptolemy III offered to pay for rebuilding the statue, but the Oracle of Delphi made the people of Rhodes worry that they had angered Helios, so they decided not to rebuild it.
Fallen state (226BC to 653AD)
The remains stayed on the ground for more than 800 years. Even though they were broken, they were so impressive that many people traveled to see them.
Strabo, a Greek geographer, philosopher, and historian who lived in Asia Minor during the time when the Roman Republic changed into the Roman Empire, briefly described the remains in his work Geography (Book XIV, Chapter 2.5). Strabo is best known for his book Geographica, which described people, places, and events from around the world during his lifetime. He wrote:
The city of the Rhodians is located on the eastern tip of Rhodes. It is far better than other cities in terms of its harbors, roads, walls, and improvements. I cannot find any other city equal to it, or even close to it. The city is also known for its good order and careful management of government affairs, especially naval matters. Because of this, the city controlled the sea for a long time, stopped piracy, and became a friend to the Romans and other kings who supported both the Romans and the Greeks. As a result, the city remained independent and was decorated with many votive offerings, most of which are found in the Dionysium and the gymnasium, but some are in other places. The most famous of these offerings is the Colossus of Helius, which was 70 cubits tall and made by Chares the Lindian. However, it now lies on the ground, broken at the knees after being destroyed by an earthquake. According to an oracle, the people of Rhodes did not rebuild it. This statue is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
Pliny the Elder wrote:
The most amazing thing in Rhodes was the giant statue of the Sun, created by Chares the Lindian, who studied under Lysippus. The statue was 70 cubits tall. It was destroyed by an earthquake 56 years after it was built. Even in its broken state, it still inspires awe. Its thumb is so large that few people could wrap their arms around it, and its fingers are larger than those of most statues. When the statue broke, large hollow spaces were visible inside. Inside, there are also large pieces of rock that the artist used to balance the statue while it was being built.
Destruction of the remains
The final fate of the statue's remains is unknown. Rhodes experiences two major earthquakes each century because it lies on the unstable Hellenic arc. Pausanias, writing around 174 AD in Description of Greece, described how an earthquake destroyed the city so completely that a prophecy about its ruin was seen as fulfilled. This suggests the statue likely could not have lasted long if it had ever been repaired. By the 4th century, Rhodes had become Christian, making it unlikely that the statue, which was originally pagan, received further care or rebuilding. By the time of the Arab wars, especially earlier conflicts like the Sasanian wars, the metal from the statue may have been used for coins or tools.
A dramatic story about the Colossus's fate emerged during Islamic naval attacks on the Byzantine Empire. In 653 AD, an Arab force led by Muslim general Mu'awiya I attacked Rhodes. According to The Chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor, the statue's remains were taken as spoils of war and melted down. A Jewish merchant from Edessa reportedly bought the bronze and loaded it onto 900 camels. A similar account by Bar Hebraeus, writing in Syriac in the 13th century, described how people pulled the statue down, extracted 3,000 loads of Corinthian bronze, and sold it to a Jewish merchant from Emesa (modern-day Homs, Syria).
Theophanes is the only source for this story, and other accounts copy his work. Since Theophanes relied on Syriac sources, his information may have been unclear, linking the statue's destruction to the raid without knowing more details. The story about the Arab destruction and the sale to a Jew might have been a metaphor for Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great statue's fall.
Considering the statue's likely neglect and the many chances for authorities to reuse its metal, combined with Rhodes' continued importance to the Byzantine Empire until the ninth century, an Arab raid probably found little, if any, remaining metal to take. Because of these factors and the negative view of Arab conquests, historian L.I. Conrad believes Theophanes' account of the statue's destruction is likely propaganda, similar to claims about the Library of Alexandria's destruction.
Posture
The Colossus of Rhodes, a statue that stood in ancient times, was imagined by medieval people based on clues from old texts. These clues include the phrase "over land and sea" mentioned twice in a dedication text and a report from an Italian traveler in 1395. The traveler wrote that local stories said the statue’s right foot was where a church called St. John of the Colossus later stood. Many drawings from later years show the statue with one foot on each side of the harbor mouth, with ships passing beneath it. This idea also appears in writings, such as a speech by William Shakespeare’s character Cassius in Julius Caesar, where he compares Caesar to a Colossus standing over the world. Shakespeare also refers to the Colossus in other plays.
In 1883, Emma Lazarus wrote a poem called The New Colossus, which was later placed on the Statue of Liberty. The poem contrasts the Statue of Liberty with the Colossus of Rhodes, describing the Colossus as a "brazen giant of Greek fame" standing across land and sea. However, these artistic images do not match reality. Studies show that the Colossus could not have spanned the harbor as described in some sources. If the statue had been built that way, the harbor’s entrance would have been blocked during construction, making it impossible for ancient Rhodians to dig out and open the harbor again. Also, if the statue had fallen, it would have blocked the harbor. Since the Rhodians lacked the tools to move the fallen statue, it could not have remained visible on land for 800 years, as some stories suggest. Additionally, the statue was made of bronze, and research shows it would have collapsed under its own weight if built with legs apart.
Scholars have explored other possible positions for the statue that would have been easier to build. There is no proof the statue held a torch; historical records only mention that the Rhodians lit a "torch of freedom" after its completion. A relief in a nearby temple shows Helios, the sun god, with one hand raised as if saluting. It is possible the Colossus was built in a similar pose.
Although the exact appearance of the Colossus is unknown, experts believe the head and face were likely similar to common designs of the time. The head would have had curly hair, like those seen on coins from ancient Rhodes.
Possible locations
Scholars generally agree that stories or descriptions of the Colossus standing at the harbor's entrance are not supported by historical or scientific evidence. However, the exact place where the monument was located is still being discussed. Locally, it is believed that the statue may have stood where two pillars now stand at the entrance to the Mandraki port.
Inside the Fortress of St Nicholas, near the harbor entrance, the floor has a circle of sandstone blocks whose origin or purpose is unknown. Curved marble blocks, which were used in the fortress's construction, are thought to have been cut too precisely for their intended use. Some experts suggest these blocks might be parts of a marble base for the Colossus, which could have rested on the sandstone foundation.
Archaeologist Ursula Vedder suggests that the Colossus was not located in the harbor area but was instead part of the Acropolis of Rhodes, a hill that overlooks the port. At the highest point of this hill, the ruins of a large temple, traditionally believed to have been dedicated to Apollo, are found. Vedder believes this structure was actually a sanctuary for Helios, and part of its large stone foundation may have supported the Colossus.
Modern Colossus projects
In 2008, The Guardian reported that a modern version of the Colossus of Rhodes was planned for the harbour entrance by German artist Gert Hof and a team from Cologne. The structure would be a large light sculpture made partly from melted weapons collected worldwide. The project was expected to cost up to €200 million.
In December 2015, a group of European architects announced plans to build a new Colossus that would stand across two piers at the harbour entrance. This statue would be 150 metres (490 feet) tall, five times the height of the original Colossus. It would include a cultural centre, library, exhibition hall, and lighthouse, all powered by solar panels. The estimated cost was US$283 million, to be funded by private donations and money raised online. However, no construction began, and the project’s website was later taken offline.