A magnificent list of the seven wonders of the world was compiled 2,000 years ago by a Greek scribe. He believed that they could not be destroyed. The modern world still fascinates this magical list.
The Colossus of Rhodes takes pride of place in it. The people of the island erected this statue in gratitude to the god Helios for the intercession during the annual siege of the city by the forty thousandth army.
Where is the Colossus of Rhodes located?
Nowhere else. But, as already mentioned, according to legend, it was erected on the island of Rhodes and was visible far from the sea. It was here, according to the testimony of ancient writers, that the statue was located: the second sun met face to face with the first. It was created around 280 BC. e. Lysippus' apprentice by sculptor Kares. And although after more than 60 years the Colossus of Rhodes fell, they say that even the ruins on earth were impressive. In the end, the statue was destroyed by Arab soldiers and sold to Syria on stones.
Today it is impossible to even find traces in the place where she stood. Classical scholars argue that statues of this type were usually located behind the temple. But on Rhodes, the Helios Temple is on a hilltop in the city center, and no traces of the Colossus were found there. Although, thanks to this statement, another, equally important fact was discovered. It turned out that the huge walls of the times of the Colossus surround the city and go down to the port. This proves that the harbor of Rhodes is largely man-made. This means that the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes could be the end of the harbor wall, as in other ancient artificial harbors. She could not block the entrance to her. To do this, it should be a quarter mile high. But neither metal nor stone can withstand the stress that winter storms exert. Today at the end of the harbor wall stands the medieval fortress of St. Nicholas. Half it is made of stones hewn in antiquity. If you look closely at the pieces of marble that served as the building material for this small fortress, you can understand that they are carved by masters of the times of the Colossus of Rhodes.
In the Middle Ages, people found a new use for them. The most interesting thing about these stones is that they are not square. Each of them is a fragment of a 17-meter circle, has curves. 17 meters is the exact diameter of the tower inside a small fortress. It is possible that medieval architects began to build directly on the ancient foundation, which serves as a pedestal for the fallen statue.
What did the Colossus of Rhodes look like and how was it made?
The chronicler, during whose time the statue was still standing, says that it was built on the same principle as the house. Fragments of other ancient figures demonstrate that they were built as expertly as Zeus Phidias. Fragment after fragment of a steel and stone frame. The Colossus of Rhodes is covered with bronze sheets. As for the pose, nobody really knows whether he was standing, sitting, or, for example, driving a chariot. Although, you can try to find some hints in a copy of the statue made by Lysippa himself of marble for Alexander. But most likely, Colossus was not as tired and pompous as old Hercules. Rather, he was a young man with a beautiful face, the same as the head of an anonymous statue found in Rhodes, which gives us a new understanding. The peculiarity of this fragment is the presence of many identical holes in a circle. If you insert the pins in them, it is clear that they diverge symmetrically, like the sun's rays on the statue of Helios, that is, this is most likely his head. In addition, it dates from (within plus or minus 100 years) the same time as the creation of the Colossus. If you look carefully at the face, you can see the same open mouth, turned neck, open eyes. One to one Alexander the Great. That is, the same school of sculptors, which was built by the Colossus of Rhodes, also created the image of the king, who subsequently went around the whole world.