The Colossus of Rhodes was one of Antipater of Sidon's list of the Seven Wonders of the World, which was compiled 2,000 years ago.
Its original creator, master sculptor Chares of Lindos, erected it in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name in 280 BC.
Chares of Lindos is said to have killed himself before the work was completed. One legend states he was distraught about a flaw in the statue.
The Colossus was built using melted down military equipment abandoned after a failed siege of the city. It is said to have taken 12 years to build in situ.
It is believed to have been about 98 foot high and stood on a 25 foot white marble plinth.
The thumb was so large, a man would be unable to reach his arms around it.
The Colossus of Rhodes stood for 54 years until Rhodes was hit by an earthquake in 226BC causing the statue to snap at the knees and fall over onto the city.
The remains lay untouched for over 800 years. Even broken, the Colossus was so impressive that many people traveled just to see the pieces.
In later years, its bronze and marble parts were carted off by Arab traders.
The Colossus of Rhodes inspired the design of the Statue of Liberty, which was built to a similar scale.
Source Daily Mail
Its original creator, master sculptor Chares of Lindos, erected it in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name in 280 BC.
Chares of Lindos is said to have killed himself before the work was completed. One legend states he was distraught about a flaw in the statue.
The Colossus was built using melted down military equipment abandoned after a failed siege of the city. It is said to have taken 12 years to build in situ.
It is believed to have been about 98 foot high and stood on a 25 foot white marble plinth.
The thumb was so large, a man would be unable to reach his arms around it.
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| The Colossus of Rhodes as imagined in a 16th-century engraving by Martin Heemskerck, part of his series of the Seven Wonders of the World |
The Colossus of Rhodes stood for 54 years until Rhodes was hit by an earthquake in 226BC causing the statue to snap at the knees and fall over onto the city.
The remains lay untouched for over 800 years. Even broken, the Colossus was so impressive that many people traveled just to see the pieces.
In later years, its bronze and marble parts were carted off by Arab traders.
The Colossus of Rhodes inspired the design of the Statue of Liberty, which was built to a similar scale.
Source Daily Mail
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