The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders, fell not to war but to an earthquake in 226 BCE, its remains lingering for centuries before being sold and melted down.
Colossus of Rhodes destroyed by earthquake
The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, was destroyed by an earthquake around 226 BCE, not by war or looters as often imagined.Statue built to commemorate military victory
The statue was constructed between 292 and 280 BCE to celebrate a Rhodian military victory over a siege led by Demetrius Poliorcetes, not solely as a religious offering to the sun god Helios.Colossus required massive amount of bronze
The Colossus, created by the sculptor Chares of Lindos, required between twelve and thirteen tons of bronze, a staggering amount for the time, highlighting the scale and ambition of the project.Myth of Colossus straddling the harbor likely false
The popular image of the Colossus straddling the entrance to the port of Rhodes is likely a Renaissance invention, as such a structure would have been technically impossible with ancient engineering capabilities.Earthquake caused Colossus to collapse
A powerful earthquake, estimated to be over 6 on the Richter scale, struck the island in 226 BCE, causing the Colossus to break at the knees before collapsing entirely.Debris remained for centuries before being sold
The remains of the Colossus lay on the ground for nearly eight centuries until the Arab conquest of the island in the seventh century, when the bronze was sold and transported out of Rhodes on camels.Colossus symbolizes mystery of ancient wonders
The Colossus of Rhodes exemplifies the mystery surrounding some of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, where the more it is discussed, the less is truly known about its original form and purpose.
