To make your vacation ideal, extraordinary places are also vitally important to visit. The important Colossus of Rhodes is just one of the many Rhodian monuments found in the medieval city of Rhodes. It was a huge statue of the god Helios and is also known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Rhodes Holidays gives you the privilege of seeing one of the wonders of the world.
The facts below would give you a better idea to wrap up the myth associated with the Colossus of Rhodes while on vacation in Rhodes.
History and people associated with the Colossus of Rhodes
The story of the Colossus of Rhodes takes us back to the era of Alexander the Great, who died at an early age in 323 BC. His premature and unexpected death did not give him time to name his successor and ultimately resulted in a fight between his generals. Three of his generals eventually ended up dividing his empire in the Mediterranean area.
Ptolemaic Egypt formed an alliance with Rhodes. Since then they have taken control of most of the trade in the eastern Mediterranean. Antigonus I Monophthalmos, one of Alexander’s most important generals, was upset with the progress of Rhodes and his alliance. So, in 305 BC. C., his son Demetrius, who was also a general, invaded Rhodes with a huge army of 40,000 men, but the city was well defended.
The statue of Colossus was built to celebrate his great victory against Demetrius’s men. Historical places, statues and monuments built in reference to a war attract many tourists and that is why Rhodes holidays are famous among tourists from all over the world.
Construction of the Colossus of Rhodes
The excitement of Rhodes Holidays is further heightened when people learn of the construction of this mighty statue, which was supposed to be a daunting task. The statue was built by Chares, who was a native of Rhodes. Chares was well known for his involvement in the construction of earlier large-scale statues. His teacher, who was a famous sculptor, also built a 60-foot tall statue of Zeus. The Colossus of Rhodes was built in 292 BC.
The purpose of the construction of the Colossus of Rhodes was to celebrate the victory in the war against the army of Demetrius. The Rhodians defended their homeland and Demetrius’s army withdrew as a result of that war. The people of Rhodes sold all the equipment left behind by Demetrius to defray the cost of building Colossus.
The material used for the construction of the statue included several stone columns and block towers. The statue was on a 50 meter high white marble pedestal. Iron beams and bronze plates were also used in the construction of the statue. The statue itself was over 30 meters tall, one of the tallest statues in the ancient world. It took 12 years to complete this mighty statue.
Destruction of the Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes remained intact for 56 years only before it was toppled by a strong earthquake in 224 BC. The earthquake broke it and for about 800 years the remains were left where it fell. It is said that in 654 AD, the Arab force under the Muslim caliph Muawiyah captured Rhodes and sold the relics of the Colossus of Rhodes to a Jewish merchant.
In 1989, the media claimed to have discovered the cornerstones of the Colossus. However, this claim has turned out to be false. The Colossus of Rhodes no longer exists; but the ideas of Rhodes Holidays impressed most of the tourists just to see the ruins of this wonderful Wonder of the World.
Is the Colossus of Rhodes a myth or a reality?
Many people ask if there really was a Colossus of this size or is it just a false story. This is mainly due to various views on the size and location of the Colossus of Rhodes.
The actual known size of the Colossus of Rhodes exceeded 30 meters in height. It was placed on either side of the famous Mandraki Harbor where ships used to pass between its legs. Many old images confirm the statue running across the harbor and the ships passing below. On the contrary, some people are of the opinion that the colossus existed in the area of the Temple of Helios.