So, fearing Helios, they declined Ptolemy of Egypt’s offer and left it in ruins.įinally, in the 7th Century AD, the Arabs had conquered Rhodes and broke up the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes into smaller pieces selling its bronze and copper, worth quite a hefty amount at that time. Ptolemy the Third did offer to pay for rebuilding it, but the Rhodians, as was the custom in those times, first consulted their oracle of Delphi, who told them that they had offended the god Helios and should leave it lying down. Within it, too, are to be seen large masses of rock, by the weight of which the artist steadied it while erecting it.” Where the limbs are broken asunder, vast caverns are seen yawning in the interior. Few men can make their arms meet around its thumb, and its fingers are larger than most statues. “Even as it lies on the ground, it is still a marvel. Pliny the Elder, ancient historian, wrote: It lay in pieces for almost a millennium, and in fact it had become quite the tourist attraction of its day. Almost totally destroying the city of Rhodes too. The Colossus of Rhodes stood up for about 56 years before it was destroyed in a massive earthquake that shook Rhodes to its core in 226 BC. DINING-ROOM TABLE TIDBIT: The other famous colossus statues were the bronze Athena Promachos on the Athenian Acropolis and the already mentioned Zeus of Olympia They were about the same size, except for the fact that the Statue of Liberty stands higher due to its taller pedestal.Ĭolossus comes from ancient Greek (kolossos) meaning ‘giant’ or ‘larger-than-life.’Īlthough today we associate the word colossus mostly with the statue of Helios, it’s interesting that this word was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to denote any larger than life or giant statue. In fact, the Statue of Liberty is inspired by what it’s thought the Colossus of Rhodes looked like. While others depict it simply standing with legs together holding up a torch much like the Statue of Liberty in New York’s harbor. Some representations depict the statue standing over the harbor’s entrance holding a sword in its right hand and a spear in its left. There have been so many depictions of this ancient figure.
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