According to these theories, the Colossus stood on a hill near the capital city of Rhodes, with the most likely location being the courtyard of the Temple of Helios (where the Palace of the Grand Masters stands today), according to Rhodesian sources.Īccording to some scholars, the god was depicted completely naked. The flaming torch is also said to have served as a unique beacon because it could be seen from a great distance. He was wearing a headdress, and the god's right hand was raised, holding a torch. This was a typical posture of ancient statues. The prevailing view, therefore, is that the Colossus stood on a marble pedestal with its feet together, with only its right foot slightly bent. However, this would not fit the proportions or stature of the statue the feet would have to be far apart and the colossus would break at the hips. This reconstruction often appears in prints from the 16th to 19th centuries. According to some versions, it stood straddling above the Rhodian Mandraki harbor, each foot on a different pier, with ships passing under its feet. Perhaps the biggest mystery is where the statue of the sun god was actually placed. After its completion, all the soil was removed and the statue was presented to the people. During the construction, the workers piled earth around the finished parts to reach the higher levels of the statue. ![]() The calves, which held all the weight of the statue, had a solid core of heavy stone blocks. Each slab was first hammered and shaped by craftsmen before being riveted to the iron structure and to the adjacent slabs. It was gradually covered with bronze plates from the bottom up. Inside, the statue was hollow and reinforced by an iron frame. The inhabitants of Rhodes were even called Colossians after the statue. It was a truly magnificent statue in its time and, at over 30 metres high, it could boast the title of the tallest statue of antiquity. Most descriptions agree, that the Colossus of Rhodes was 33 m tall and stood on a massive marble base. Since neither the statue nor any of its parts have survived to this day, opinions vary as to what it actually looked like and where it stood. The statue's height and splendour were a source of admiration, but not everyone shared this enthusiasm, fearing that the statue's monumentality might anger the god Helios and cause him to sink the island of Rhodes into the sea. Only then he did unveil it to the inhabitants of the island. The creator of the colossus was Chares of Lindos, who worked with a group of builders and slaves for 12 years to make it. The money was raised by selling the captured war equipment and in 304 BC the construction of this monumental statue could begin. They wanted to thank him for his help in repelling the invasion of the Syrian ruler Demetrius Poliorcetes. Before its destruction, the Colossus of Rhodes stood over 30 meters (107 ft) high, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world.After the great victory of the Rhodian people over the Syrian warriors in 305 BC, the inhabitants of the Greek island decided to built a statue in honour of the god Helios, the patron god of the island. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of Helios, was erected on the Island between 292 and 280 BC. Although Helios was worshipped throughout the Greek world, he was especially admired at Rhodes, an island off the coast of modern-day Turkey. Hence, the finding of these coins while plowing a field was not only a monetary windfall, but also a sign of good luck. The reverse shows a rose bud, which is an allusion to Rhodos, the name of the city which issued this coin.ĭuring the Middle Ages, the head of Helios on these coins was thought to be the image of Christ. The obverse side of this ancient hand struck coin, depicts the radiate head of Helios. He drove his chariot of the sun, drawn by the fire-darting steeds Pyrios, Aeos, Aethon, and Phlegon across the sky each day to Earth, circling Oceanus and through the world-ocean, returned to the east at night. Helios was imagined as a handsome God, crowned with the shining aureole of the sun. Sun worshipping is an ancient tradition and the Greeks were especially serious about their devotion to their solar deities. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the size of an item.ĭescription:In Greek mythology, the sun was personified as Helios. For comparison, a Quarter weighs 5.7 grams and a Half Dollar weighs 12.5 grams. ![]() The weight shown is the total weight of the jewelry item. Some pendants that have an irregular shape are measured total width by height. The Framed Coin Size Diameter is a measurement of the coin including the gold bezel, measured across the pendant from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock.
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