Exploration of Ancient Civilization Mysteries

Author: Li Shiji
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features:
Construction Time: 282 BC
Completion Date:
Location: Rhodes Port, Aegean Sea, Greece
The Colossus of Rhodes is located at the port of Rhodes, an island in Greece leading to the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient times, Rhodes was an important commercial center, situated at the junction of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It was 450 kilometers west of the Greek mainland and 19 kilometers north of the Turkish mainland, covering an area of 1,400 square kilometers with a population of over 70,000. It was one of the birthplaces of ancient Greek civilization. The port of Rhodes was built in 408 BC. Historically, Rhodes was ruled by many powers, including Mausolus (whose tomb is also one of the Seven Wonders) and Alexander the Great.
In mythology, after the war between the Greek gods for the throne ended, Zeus became the king of the gods. He assigned territories to the gods but forgot about Apollo, the god of the sun, who had been on a tour of the heavens. When Apollo returned, Zeus pointed to a massive rock submerged in the Aegean Sea and gave it to him. The rock rose gracefully from the sea to welcome the god of the sun. Apollo was delighted with this land and named it Rhodes after his wife Aphrodite's daughter, Rhodes. His three sons, Canos, Monolius, and Lindos, each established their own city-states on the island. The island flourished and became a center of civilization. By 408 BC, the city-states united to form a unified Rhodes, which grew stronger. However, this prosperity also attracted wars. This is the story that follows.
Around 490 BC, the Persians invaded Rhodes, but the islanders, with their efforts, managed to repel the invaders and drive them out. After the victory, the people collected the enemy's abandoned weapons and melted them down under the supervision of the sculptor Chares, casting them into the Colossus of Apollo, which was erected at the port to dominate the sea. However, there is another legend: After Alexander the Great's death, the island fell into a prolonged war. This time, it was not the Persians but the Macedonian invader Demetrius, who led an army of 40,000 (which was more than the entire population of the island at the time), surrounding the port. After a fierce battle, Rhodes defeated the invaders. To celebrate this victory, they decided to build a statue using the enemy's bronze weapons. The statue took 12 years to construct, stood about 33 meters tall (similar in height to the Statue of Liberty in New York), and was hollow, reinforced with complex stone and iron supports. According to the legend, the statue stood with its legs apart at the port, with ships passing through the middle, creating a spectacular and interesting scene.
The other account states: This giant statue was actually the sun god and protector of the Greeks, Helios. Designed by the architect Chares, it was built at the entrance of the port of Rhodes. After 12 years of construction, the Colossus of Rhodes was completed in 282 BC, standing at 33 meters tall, made of marble and covered with bronze, later serving as a lighthouse. However, in 226 BC, a major earthquake toppled this magnificent statue, and its fragile knees became its fatal flaw, causing it to fall onto the shores near the Mandraki.
Regardless of the legends, one thing remains certain: the construction of this statue was renowned in its time, as ancient writers consistently described it in admiring terms. In the 1st century AD, the Roman writer Pliny the Elder visited Rhodes and wrote about the statue. According to his account, the statue stood at 32 meters tall (though the foundation stone recorded the exact height as 36 meters). Its fingers were taller than a person, and the fallen thigh could serve as a dwelling. Even when lying on the ground, the statue was awe-inspiring, as almost no one could wrap their arms around its thumb. However, he did not describe the statue's posture or construction, leaving room for speculation and imagination.
An 11th-century painting depicts the sun god as a nude man, holding a spear in his left hand and a sword in his right, standing on a high pillar surrounded by rolling waves. Other paintings show the sun god with thick legs, standing at the entrance of the harbor. This aligns with some of the legends. The Rhodes Museum houses a fragment of a statue of the sun god. Based on this fragment, British historian Marien, in 1956, believed the sun god was a tall, muscular young man wearing a radiant crown, standing with his right leg forward and left leg back, his right hand resting on the front of his crown, his head tilted to the right, and his eyes fixed forward. Since the original statue no longer exists, the true appearance of the sun god can only be imagined.
As for its destruction, there is no dispute. This great statue stood for only 50 years before collapsing in a powerful earthquake. Regarding the fate of the statue, some say that in 654 AD, when Rhodes was invaded by Arabs, the invaders transported the statue to Syria. Others claim that since the bronze statue could not be reerected, it was dismantled and melted down to make other objects in the 7th century. Yet others suggest that the statue was stolen and that the thief's ship sank at sea. Without the actual original, people can only imagine the scale of the Colossus of Rhodes based on brief historical descriptions.