# Colossus of Rhodes (DD-102)

> The Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue of the sun god Helios, about 33 m (108 ft) tall, built by Chares of Lindos to celebrate Rhodes surviving a siege in 305-304 BC. Completed around 280 BC, it was made of bronze plates over an iron framework. An earthquake in 226 BC snapped it at the knees, and it lay where it fell for centuries; Pliny the Elder reported that even fallen it was a marvel. In 653 AD an Arab force under Muawiya took Rhodes and, by later accounts, sold the remains for scrap. The famous image of the statue straddling the harbor entrance is a medieval idea; modern scholars think it stood on land, as ships could not have passed under it and the harbor would have been blocked during construction. The footage shows renderings of the statue and harbor. This is No. 6 in his Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series.

- Department: History (also Locations)
- First published: 2023-11-30
- Last updated: 2023-11-30
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/colossus-of-rhodes/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-102-F01**: It was a bronze statue of the sun god Helios. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Helios))_
- **DD-102-F02**: It stood about 33 m (108 ft) tall. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (About 33 m))_

## Write-up

One ancient wonder stood for barely half a century. An earthquake toppled the Colossus in 226 BC.

1. **Helios**: It was a bronze statue of the sun god Helios.
2. **About 33 m**: It stood about 33 m (108 ft) tall.
3. **Iron and bronze**: It was built of bronze plates over iron.
4. **Toppled in 226 BC**: An earthquake toppled it in 226 BC.
5. **Sold in 653**: Its remains were reportedly sold for scrap after 653 AD.

## Related case files

- [The Motherland Calls (DD-590)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-motherland-calls/): I paired it with another colossal statue

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: 'Ships would pass between its legs': that pose is a later legend. Modern scholars think it stood on land, not across the harbor.
- **Note**: '56 years after its completion': it was finished around 280 BC, so about 54 years; the exact date is uncertain.
- **Note**: 'Nearly 900 years': 226 BC to 653 AD is about 880 years, fair.
- **Note**: 'No. 6' is the order of his own series, not an official ranking.

## Video: Colossus of Rhodes: One Ancient Wonder Stood for Barely Half a Century

- Duration: 36.0 s · Published: 2023-11-30
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/C0S9xSVtBjF.mp4

### Transcript

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World No. 6 The Colossus of Rhodes DID YOU KNOW? The Colossus of Rhodes was a massive bronze statue of the sun god Helios erected on the island of Rhodes in the 3rd century BC. The Colossus was said to be over 100 feet tall and was built using a framework of iron and bronze plates. According to ancient accounts, it stood at the entrance of the harbor and ships would pass between its legs. Despite its fame, the Colossus stood for only a relatively brief period. It was toppled by an earthquake in 226 BC, just 56 years after its completion. Legend has it that it lay in ruins for nearly 900 years before it was eventually sold as scrap metal. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Which god did the Colossus depict?**  
A: The sun god. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Helios) · Wikipedia: Colossus of Rhodes)_

**Q: About how tall was it?**  
A: About 108 ft. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (About 33 m) · Wikipedia: Colossus of Rhodes)_

**Q: What was it built of?**  
A: Riveted plates. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Iron and bronze) · Wikipedia: Colossus of Rhodes)_

**Q: What toppled it?**  
A: In 226 BC. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Toppled in 226 BC) · Wikipedia: Colossus of Rhodes; Wikipedia: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World)_

**Q: When were its remains reportedly sold?**  
A: Sold as scrap. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Sold in 653) · Wikipedia: Colossus of Rhodes)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Colossus of Rhodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_of_Rhodes)
- [Wikipedia: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Wonders_of_the_Ancient_World)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Colossus of Rhodes." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-102, last updated Nov 30, 2023. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/colossus-of-rhodes/