Rhodes in Ancient Times

Outlining the culture, technology and religion of the Rhodians in ancient times, Rhodes in Ancient Times volume features information on the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A massive statue of the Greek Titan Helios, the Colossus of Rhodes was constructed between 292 and 280 BC to celebrate Rhodes? victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus. The Colossus stood over 107 feet (30 meters) high, making it one of the tallest statues in the world. Some believe the statue was positioned in such a way that ships could pass between its legs. While perhaps more dynamic and fanciful, historians and archaeologists have concluded that the statue would be physically unable to be positioned in this way based on the primary sources detailing the Colossus. Instead, the statue is thought to have been positioned much like the Statue of Liberty, standing on a pedestal with one arm extended. The Colossus stood for 56 years, until Rhodes experienced an earthquake in 226 BC. The statue reportedly snapped at the knees and toppled over onto land. Ptolemy III offered to pay for the reconstruction of the statue, but the Rhodians were afraid they had offended Helios and refused to touch the statue. Subsequently, the remains lay on the ground for over 800 years. Even in ruins, they attracted several hundred visitors. About the ruins, Pliny the Elder famously wrote that few people could wrap their arms around the fallen thumb of the statue.