Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was a giant statue of Helios, the sun god, built in the Greek island of Rhodes around 292–280 BC. It was made to celebrate Rhodes’s successful defense against an attack by Demetrius I of Macedon. The statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Colossus stood about 32–33 meters tall (roughly 105–108 feet), making it one of the tallest statues of its time. It was created from bronze plates mounted on an iron frame and stood on a white marble pedestal about 15 meters high near the harbor. Much of the bronze came from weapons left over after the siege. Some details of how it was built are debated by historians.
It stood for about 54 years until a strong earthquake in 226 BC damaged it badly and it collapsed. The Rhodians did not rebuild the statue, following an ancient oracle’s warning. The broken pieces lay on the ground for many centuries, attracting visitors who were impressed by what remained. By 653 AD, an Arab raid is said to have melted down and sold the bronze, though some scholars question this account.
Images of the Colossus straddling the harbor are a later invention and not supported by solid evidence. Most historians agree it could not have stood with its legs apart across the harbor. The exact location of the statue’s base is also uncertain; some think it stood near the harbor entrance, others propose a site higher up on Rhodes.
Today, the Colossus remains a symbol of ancient invention and is remembered as one of the world’s great wonders. Throughout the centuries there have been ideas to rebuild it, but no statue has replaced the original.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:50 (CET).