Seven wonders of the world in ancient times.Part5.

The Colossus Of Rhodes

The colossus of Rhodes is in the list of 7 Wonders of antiquity. This is one of the most monumental and Grand statues ever built by man. The colossus of Rhodes - a statue of the Greek Sun God Helios, stood in the port city of Rhodes, located on the eponymous island in the Aegean sea, in Greece.
The island of Rhodes is located near the South-Western coast of Asia Minor, where the Aegean sea is bordered by the Mediterranean. Not beautiful harbour in the Northern coast of the island in 408 BC the city was built, which is also called Rhodes.
In 357 BC the island was conquered by king Mausol, which later was built the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, also recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world. In 340 BC, Rhodes came under the Persian rule and in 332 BC the island was conquered by Alexander the great.
When Alexander the great died of a fever, his generals began to divide his vast Empire. Three of them – Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigonus received each his share of the possessions, once belonging to the great. Rhodes entrenched Ptolemy I Soter. Ptolemy belonged to Egypt. Rhodes also claimed Antigonus. He sent his son Demetrius to capture and destroy the city of Rhodes.
Demetrius landed in Rhodes with 40 000 by the strength of the army. After Rhodes under siege for a year, despite the construction of many siege guns, he was forced to retreat because of approaching the Rhodes fleet of Ptolemy.
To perpetuate the memory of their victory, the people of Rhodes decided to build a huge statue of the patron Saint of the city of the Sun God Helios, to thank him for intercession. Helios was not just a particular deity worshiped on the island, legend has it that he from the depths of the sea brought Rhodes in his hands.
Ancient authors give different data about the height of the statue of the colossus of Rhodes: there is evidence that its height is 30-35 meters, some claim that the height of the statue was about 35-40 meters. One of the unknown authors of the Christian era reported that the Colossus resisted feet in two opposing dam Harbor and the ships on their way to Rhodes, had to swim under it.
However, none of the ancients did not mention that the statue of the deity stands directly above the harbour, in such a strange position - it would be an insult to the Greek God. Moreover, it could block the big ships enter the harbour. The resistance of the giant in this case is also taken into question.
The sculpture of the Colossus of Rhodes was built in a traditional style: a naked youth, with a crown in the form of diverging rays on the head, smotriatsia into the distance. With his right hand he covered his eyes and his left was holding his flowing robe.
There is another description of the statue belonging to Philo, according to which the Colossus was a male figure standing on a pedestal of white marble to which sustainability was attached to his feet that size, "by themselves exceed a statue." At arm's length the Colossus of Rhodes was holding the torch. When the torch was lit, day and night he served as a lighthouse.
Pliny the Elder was struck by the fact that few people could clasp hands the thumb of the statue.
This statue of the Colossus, the Rhodians commissioned to create a sculptor of Hares, a disciple of the famous Lysippus. He had to make a statue of this size, "that it surpassed all others."
The construction of the statue went the proceeds from the sale of the siege engines, thrown by the commander Demetrius, was also the molten bronze details giant siege towers.
At first, the hares were cast and put on a pedestal the feet of the Colossus. Then gradually poured the rest of the body. With the gradual rise of sculpture and raised earthen hill around it.
The statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was constructed 12 years. When the statue's head was decorated with a radiant wreath and dismantled a mound around it, amazed the people of Rhodes saw the gorgeous work of art.
The colossus of Rhodes towered proudly over the city and Harbor for 56 years. In the morning, the rays of the rising sun, reflected in the polished bronze plates covering the statue, made a dazzling Shine the figure of the God. Travelers and merchants coming to Rhodes, seen from afar flying over the island statue, and then their eyes were opened to the beautiful Harbor.
The colossus of Rhodes stood for a relatively short time — about fifty years. In 225 BC, the statue was destroyed by an earthquake. According to Strabo, the statue was lying on the ground, prostrate by an earthquake and broken at the knees." The knee was the most affected place.
But then the Colossus of Rhodes was surprising for its size. Strabo wrote that "because of some prophecy. the Rhodians more it will not put". Fragments of huge statues had lain in the earth more than a thousand years until it was sold by the Arabs, seized in 977 Rhodes, a merchant, who, as told in one of the Chronicles, loaded 900 camels with them.
Currently, efforts are being made to reconstruct the colossus of Rhodes. The statue again are going to build on the Rhodes, but this time the figure will be made of luminous details.