It was compiled 2000 years ago by a Greek scribe. He believed that they could not be destroyed. Modern world This magical list still fascinates.

The Colossus of Rhodes occupies a place of honor in it. The people of the island erected this statue in gratitude to the god Helios for his intercession during the year-long siege of the city by an army of forty thousand.

Where is the Colossus of Rhodes located?

Now nowhere. But, as already mentioned, according to legend, it was built on 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. student Kares. And although the Colossus of Rhodes fell more than 60 years later, they say that even the ruins on the ground were impressive. Eventually, the statue was destroyed by Arab soldiers and sold to Syria stone by stone.

Today it is impossible to find even traces of the place where she stood. Classical scholars argue that statues of this type were usually located at the back of the temple. But in Rhodes, the temple of Helios is located on a hilltop in the center of the city, and no traces of the Colossus could be found there. Although thanks to this statement it was possible to discover another, no less important fact. It turned out that huge walls from the time of the Colossus surround the city and go down to the port. This proves that the harbor of Rhodes is largely of artificial origin. 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 couldn't block the entrance to it. To do this, it must be a quarter of a 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 of it is made of stones hewn in ancient times. If you look closely at the pieces of marble that served building material for this small fortress, one can understand that they were carved by craftsmen from the time of the Colossus of Rhodes.

In the Middle Ages, people found new uses 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 and has curves. 17 meters is the exact diameter of the tower inside the small fortress. It is possible that medieval architects began to build directly on the ancient foundation, which served as a pedestal for the fallen statue.

What was the Colossus of Rhodes like and how was it made?

The chronicler, in whose time the statue still stood, says that it was built on the same principle as a house. Fragments of other ancient figures demonstrate that they were constructed with the same skill as Phidias's Zeus. Piece by piece of a frame of steel and stone. The Colossus of Rhodes was covered with bronze sheets. As for the pose, no one actually 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 Lysippos himself from marble for Alexander. But, most likely, the Colossus was not as tired and pompous as old Hercules. Rather, it was a young man with a beautiful face, the same as the head of the unnamed statue found in Rhodes, which gives us new insight. The peculiarity of this fragment is the presence of many identical holes in a circle. If you insert pins into them, you can see that they diverge symmetrically, like sun rays on the statue of Helios, that is, this is most likely his head. Moreover, it dates (within plus or minus 100 years) to the same time as the creation of the Colossus. If you look closely at the face, you can see the same slightly open mouth, turned neck, open eyes. One to one That is, the same school of sculptors that built the Colossus of Rhodes also created the image of the king, who later went around the whole world.

The inhabitants of Rhodes, a tribe of Dorians,
this copper colossus
The size of the sky, Helium,
erected for you.
(Unknown ancient poet)

The Colossus of Rhodes (Greek Κολοσσός της Ρόδου, lat. Colossus Rhodi) is one of the ancient seven wonders of the world, clear and irrefutable proof of the wealth and power of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes was called Ancient Greece huge bronze statue on the island of Rhodes. Like most of the Seven Wonders of the World, this sculpture has not survived to this day. There is nothing left of it at all, except for mentions in ancient historical works and myths. Despite this, historians and archaeologists are persistently trying scientific methods clarify the shape of the statue and the place where it stood.

Despite all the uncertainty of information about the semi-mythical Colossus, historical science has nevertheless accumulated a considerable amount of objective data about this ancient Greek miracle. Judging by ancient sources, the height of the Colossus was from 30 to 36 meters.

Georg Balthasar Probst.

In the third century BC. The commander Demetrius attacked the island of Rhodes. However, he failed to defeat the Rhodians, despite the special siege engines - last word military equipment. Demetrius retreated, leaving on the shore a huge iron-clad siege tower with rams and a drawbridge, catapults, platforms for landing - heliopolis, which was set in motion by 3,400 soldiers. This heliopolis - the same kind of wonder of the world - instead of destruction, brought unexpected benefits and worldwide fame to the city. Enterprising merchants bought heleopolis from the Rhodians “for scrap metal” for fabulous money - 300 talents. With the money raised from the sale of the tower, a statue of Helios, the patron saint of the island of Rhodes, was erected. This one of the seven wonders of the world was erected in 292 - 280. BC

After Martin de Vos. 1614

The author of the project was, presumably, the sculptor Hades from the city of Lindos in Rhodes, a student of Lysippos. The structure of the giant statue consisted of three massive stone pillars that served as supports for the legs of the statue and the coverlet. At shoulder level and at the waist, the pillars were connected by iron cross beams.

An employee of the British Museum, Marlion, suggests that the cross-section of the iron bars at the ankle level of the statue was approximately 4.5 square meters. inches. Above and below this place, the cross-sectional area gradually decreased. The pillars and beams served as the basis of an iron frame (there is a version that the frame was coated with clay, “a colossus with feet of clay”?), which was covered with hammered sheets of bronze 1.6 millimeters thick.

The statue took 12 years to construct. To work on the image of the god directly at the site of its installation, Hares used an original technique: with the gradual elevation of the sculpture, the earthen hill around it also rose; the hill was subsequently torn down, and the statue in its entirety was revealed to the astonished inhabitants of the island.

The production of the grandiose monument required 500 talents of bronze and 300 talents of iron (about 13 and about 8 tons, respectively). The colossus also gave rise to a kind of fashion for giant statues in Rhodes already in the 2nd century. BC e. About a hundred colossal sculptures were installed.

The god Helios was represented as an upright naked young athlete with a radiant crown on his head. The young man's powerful legs were slightly apart, his palm right hand put to his eyes, in his left he held a blanket flowing to the ground. Leaning back slightly, the young man peered into the distance.

The main sources of factual data about the legendary bronze giant were the works of Pliny, Philo and short texts - inscriptions and dedications. None of these texts indicate where the Colossus stood. No there and detailed description statues - only the most general information.

It has long been believed that the Colossus stood in front of the harbor of Mandraki, one of many in the city of Rhodes. The image of the Colossus of Rhodes with legs wide apart, towering like an arch above the entrance to the harbor, is well known. Given the height of the statue and the width of the harbor entrance, this consideration is impossible. With the height of the Colossus being 36 m, the distance between its legs could not be 400 m (the width of the entrance to the harbor), otherwise it would look something like this:

In addition, the Colossus would block the entrance to the harbor. There is not only no specific archaeological evidence, but also indirect indications of this location of the famous statue. Recent research suggests that the Colossus was installed either on the eastern cape of Mandraki harbor, or even inside it. In favor of the hypothesis about the installation of Helios in the harbor, one can also cite the fact that the inhabitants built their Colossus in honor of the lifting of the island from the siege, and the enemy arrived from the sea.

Word quickly spread about this wonder of the world, whose life was very short, but whose fame was lasting. The colossus stood for 65 (according to other sources - 56) years, in 226 (222?) BC. it was destroyed strong earthquake. The most vulnerable place turned out to be the knees - above the knees the statue was bent in such a way that its head and shoulders rested on the ground.

Salvador Dali. Colossus of Rhodes.

The Rhodians and their neighbors tried to raise the fallen giant. The Egyptian king sent skilled craftsmen and several hundred talents of copper. Unfortunately, it was not possible to restore the statue. (The oracle prohibited a new installation.) For almost 1000 years, the broken statue lay on the shore of the bay, which became a landmark of Rhodes. As Strabo writes, “the statue lay on the ground, overthrown by an earthquake and broken at the knees.” But even then the Colossus caused surprise with its size. Pliny the Elder mentions that only a few could grasp with both hands thumb hands of the statue. "Even being located on earth, it is a miracle," said Pliny the Elder.

Only in 977 did the Arab governor sell it to an enterprising merchant for melting down. The ear of corn was cut into pieces, and the expensive bronze was taken away on 900 camels.

1608

The oldest image of the Colossus of Rhodes dates back to 1556. The true form and history of the appearance of the Colossus is not known; modern reconstructions of the statue standing upright are more accurate than earlier drawings. Although this miracle has disappeared, it has inspired modern artists, such as the French sculptor Augustus Bartholdi, famous for his work "The Statue of Liberty".

Now at the entrance to Mandraki harbor there are two bronze statues deer, which are the emblem of modern Rhodes. It is believed that the columns stand in place of the legs of the colossus. The image of the Colossus of Rhodes can be seen everywhere: on stamps, postcards, and ancient engravings.

In November 2008, it was announced that the statue would be reconstructed as a lighting installation. According to project managers, the structure will be several times higher than its original - from 60 to 100 meters. The project budget is estimated at 200 million euros, which will be raised from international sponsors, as well as from the personal funds of the German artist Gert Hof.

Tsereteli wants to build a 47-meter Olympic Colossus in Sochi. According to the project of Z. Tsereteli, there will be elevators inside this 47-meter sculpture, and underneath there will be rooms for museums.

The sculptors worked for 12 years to create the giant statue of the Colossus of Rhodes. The 36-meter statue in the form of a slender, strong young god with a wreath on his head aroused the admiration of everyone who sailed past the island of Rhodes, and was also visible from nearest islands. The main material for construction was clay, metal was only in the base and on the covering. This was the reason for the collapse of the famous statue... Let us first turn to the history of the construction of the Colossus of Rhodes. According to ancient legend, Helios, the sun god saved the besieged inhabitants of the island of Rhodes from the commander Demetrius Poliorcetes, who was trying to capture the island. In the end, thanks to the advice of Colossus. the commander had to retreat and the island was liberated. In honor of this event, in 304 BC, it was decided to build a huge statue of the god who became the patron saint of the island, and to preserve the memory of the great victory for centuries. The sculptor Hares decided to build the Colossus standing at full height and peering into the distance.

It took 12 years to build the statue of the god, resting on three massive stone pillars held together by iron beams. This entire structure was sheathed with bronze sheets, and the cavity was filled with clay. Residents of the island did not see the statue until construction was completed, since the embankment surrounding the colossus was constantly raised for ease of work. And only when the embankment was removed, the Rhodians saw their god standing on a huge white marble pedestal.

Initially, the word Colossus was used to refer to any statue, but after the construction of the Colossus of Rhodes, only very structures began to be called this. large sizes As one of 7 Ancient Wonders of the World the statue was first mentioned by the ancient Greek author Philo of Byzantium.

Helios - sun god

Helios lived on the eastern shore of the ocean in a palace made of gold and copper. Every morning, standing on a golden chariot with four winged horses, he rode out of the silver gates to the western shore of the Ocean. On west bank Another palace was located, from where the Sun God returned back to the east in a boat made of gold.

According to legend, Helios worked from morning to evening, illuminating the Earth, and was unable to attend the division of the world, so he received nothing. He decided to raise an island from the depths of the sea, and named it in honor of his wife Rhoda - Rhodes.

More than 13 tons of bronze and about 8 tons of iron were spent on the construction of such a large-scale monument. The Colossus of Rhodes gave rise to the fashion for large statues; after 2 centuries, about a hundred large sculptures were built on the island. Perhaps, if it were not for this statue, then there would not now be such structures as the Statue of Liberty in New York, or the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. Or maybe they wouldn’t even have built our Motherland in Volgograd :)

The Colossus statue stood for only 50 years before it was destroyed by an earthquake in 222 BC. Her weakest point turned out to be her knees, which immediately cracked. For a long time, the Colossus lay on the ground, striking everyone with its size. Pliny the Elder wrote in his chronicles that few people managed to clasp the thumb on the giant’s hand with both hands. This is where the famous expression came from: “A colossus with feet of clay.”

Pliny the Elder

The fragments of the huge statue lay on the ground for about a thousand years, until the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977, sold it to an unknown merchant, who had to transport them on 900 camels.

In 2008, it was decided to restore the Colossus of Rhodes as a light installation in its original location. German art connoisseur Gert Hof plans to allocate about 200 million euros for this project. The height of the new Colossus will be higher than the original - approximately 60-100 meters. If you are interested in ancient wonders of the world, read also about the mausoleum in Halicarnassus, or about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, no less interesting material is collected there.

Rhodes was a major economic center of the ancient world. Located on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor, it often acted as a tasty morsel for the rulers of neighboring powers. So, in 357 BC. The famous king Mavlos became the new ruler of the city, and after 17 years the city fell into the possession of the Persian Empire. In 322 BC. Rhodes was conquered by Alexander the Great, but after his death civil strife began between the heirs of the great commander and one of them, Antigonus, sent his son Demetrius to capture and destroy the rebellious city.

Colossus of Rhodes

Construction idea

It should be noted that the long siege did not bring success, and the commander was forced to retreat. On the shore of the island, his warriors abandoned a huge siege tower, which was a real engineering miracle of that time, and the enterprising people immediately decided to sell it. With the money raised, it was decided to build a statue of Helios, the patron saint of Rhodes, in order to praise the sun god for ridding the city of invaders.

Construction of the statue began around 304 BC. The creation of the Colossus was entrusted to Chares, a student of the famous ancient sculptor Lysippos. It was proposed to depict Helios standing, and in his left hand he was supposed to hold a blanket flowing down to the ground, and with his right hand to cover his eyes from the sun. Despite the fact that such a pose did not correspond to some canons of sculpture of that time, the master understood that the huge statue would not stay on its feet if the Colossus pointed his hand into the distance.

Three massive stone pillars served as the basis for a 36-meter statue. They were fastened with iron beams at the level of the Colossus' shoulders, which was supposed to provide him with stability. Construction continued for 12 years, after which the world saw greatest statue, whose head was decorated with a radiant crown.

Death of the Colossus

Literally half a century later, the island was shaken by strong earthquakes, and the legs of the Colossus of Rhodes were broken. The statue of the god fell into the sea and lay off the coast for about 1000 years. The defeated giant became surrounded by legends, but in 977 AD. They decided to disassemble it, melt it down and sell it. The chronicles preserve data that it took 900 camels to transport the bronze with which the statue was decorated.

Modern interpretations of the great statue

The Colossus of Rhodes was included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World. Currently, even some measures are being taken to restore the huge statue. According to some data, the cost modern sculpture Helios will be about 200 million euros. However, the idea of ​​​​creating monumental sculptures following the example of the Colossus of Rhodes was used much earlier - a statue of a woman holding a huge torch in her hands was installed in New York Bay. This monument is better known to the world as the Statue of Liberty, but its creation was based on the image of the Rhodes masterpiece.

A little more than half a century (56 years) passed from the construction of the statue to its destruction, but it was not only named one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The history of the monument, covered in legends and myths, has been exciting minds for two millennia scientists of the planet. This is the legendary statue of the Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes is a statue depicting the sun god Helios, the patron saint of Rhodes, who, as the inhabitants of the island believed, helped them survive the siege. Historians attribute its construction to 292 - 280. BC Naturally, no photos of the legendary monument and one of the Seven Wonders of the World exist.

Colossus of Rhodes - an excursion into history

After the death of Alexander the Great, his huge empire - almost a world power - was divided between the king's associates, but there were disagreements. The most fierce struggle broke out between Antigonus (One-Eyed) and Ptolemy. The first took possession of almost all the lands in Asia Minor, the second - Egypt. What do these have to do with historical events have to the legendary statue of the Colossus of Rhodes? It was they who served as the main prerequisite for the construction of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The main income for the inhabitants of the island came from trade with Egypt, which categorically did not suit Antigonus, who sent his heir Demetrius to capture the capital of the island, Rhodes. The siege began in 305 BC. e., and its scale was impressive. Demetrius attacked Rhodes with 40,000 soldiers, the army included 200 military and 170 transport ships, loaded with catapults, ammunition, weapons.

The siege lasted almost a year; Rhodes, supported by Ptolemy, did not surrender. Demetrius retreated, abandoning the siege weapons and all military equipment- “scrap metal”, all the money from the sale of which (300 talents) was decided to be spent on the construction of a giant statue of the Colossus of Rhodes.

History of the Colossus of Rhodes - interesting facts and legends

Even pictures depicting the Colossus of Rhodes, found in ancient archives, are strikingly different from one another. On some, the god Helios is depicted with a torch-lighthouse illuminating the sea strait. On others, the Colossus of Rhodes holds a cloak-veil in his hands. However, research that has been going on for more than 2000 years has made it possible to shed light on the semi-mythical statue of the Colossus of Rhodes itself, and on some points relating to it appearance and location.

It is reliably known that the construction of the Colossus of Rhodes was carried out by the student of the famous Greek sculptor Lysippos - Chares, and the work was carried out for about 12 years. According to some sources, the height of the Colossus of Rhodes, the god Helios, was 30 m, others call a larger number– 36 m.

The main sources that allow us to more or less reliably present the legendary wonder of the world are the records of Pliny and Philo. However, in none of them is the Colossus of Rhodes described in detail - only the most general information, full of admiration for the greatness of the statue. What is known is that the main material for the construction of the Colossus of Rhodes was bronze. It is also reliably known that the statue stood for only 56 years; the reason for its destruction was an earthquake in Rhodes (222 BC).

Colossus of Rhodes - hypotheses about the location of the statue

So, the Colossus of Rhodes really existed. The questions that concern scientists concern exactly what it looked like, where it was installed, and what technology was used to build the huge statue, because even in our time the size of the Colossus of Rhodes is impressive.

There are two versions regarding the location of the statue depicting the god Helios. The first, recognized as a classic and recorded in numerous history textbooks, says that the Colossus of Rhodes stood directly on the shore of the harbor. This is evidenced by numerous pictures dating from different eras, in which the Colossus of Rhodes is depicted with legs widely spaced, between which ships sail. But, as has been convincingly proven modern research, 2000 years ago it was technically impossible to install a statue of the Colossus of Rhodes over the entrance to the harbor.

The second hypothesis states that if the majestic Colossus of Rhodes depicted the sun god Helios, it was located directly next to his temple. If Helios is the patron saint of Rhodes, then his sanctuary was located in the very center of the capital of the island. It would seem that everything is correct, but the residents of Rhodes worshiped the statue and admired it, and if it was located in the very center of the city with fairly dense buildings, then it was simply not possible to examine the 36-meter-high Colossus of Rhodes. Plus, the architects of Ancient Greece really respected proportions, and obvious disproportion is not their style.

Which hypothesis is true? The question still remains open.

Colossus of Rhodes - versions of the construction of the statue

Philo of Byzantium wrote in great detail about how the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was erected. But scientists have doubts about the veracity of the story; they believe, not without reason, that it was written at a later time. And not Philo at all, but a rhetorician, focusing on bronze casting technologies that were simply unknown in Ancient Greece.

There is a version that the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was assembled in parts and was hollow. The voids were filled with stones and clay for stability - hence the second name of the statue “colossus with feet of clay.” This hypothesis does not contradict the technology that existed 2000 years ago, and it was precisely this that Hares could have used. Is this true? It is unknown, but the hypothesis is considered quite reliable.

So, the architect managed to create a giant statue, but what exactly did the image of the god Helios - the Colossus of Rhodes - look like?

Colossus of Rhodes - versions regarding appearance

It is quite natural to assume that the appearance of the Colossus of Rhodes corresponded to the canons adopted in Ancient Greece - a naked man of athletic build with the obligatory radiant halo crown on his head. This is exactly what the statues of the gods of Greece were like. But his pose depended solely on where he was located.

If the Colossus of Rhodes stood over the entrance to the harbor, then in his hand there would certainly be a torch, one of the lighthouses of the Mediterranean Sea. This is the classic version, and this is how Helios is depicted in numerous pictures. Ancient descriptions say that the sparkling statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was visible to sailors approaching the island.

If the Colossus of Rhodes stood in front of the temple of the god Helios, then the version that in his hand was not a torch-beacon, but a cloak-veil, also seems quite reliable. There are also such images of a semi-mythical statue.

However, all descriptions of the appearance of the Colossus of Rhodes agree that the head of the god was indeed decorated with a crown with rays and that he was a naked young man of athletic build.

Colossus of Rhodes - the defeated giant

An earthquake completely destroyed the majestic city in 226 BC. The Colossus of Rhodes could not withstand the tremors and was defeated. It is interesting that the statue broke at the knees, so the common expression “a colossus with feet of clay” is most likely associated with this event. Although there is a lot of debate on this topic.

No, the inhabitants of Rhodes did not leave the statue lying defeated, because Helios is the patron saint of the island. Attempts to restore the Colossus of Rhodes were made repeatedly, but without success. For almost 1000 years, the broken giant remained on the earth, but in 977 the bronze was sold for smelting. The “remains” of the Colossus of Rhodes were taken away on 900 camels, because more than 13 tons of expensive bronze and almost 8 tons of iron were spent on making the statue.

It’s interesting, but already 2 centuries after the Colossus of Rhodes was melted down, a fashion for large sculptures began in Rhodes and in Greece itself. It is believed that it was the legendary Colossus of Rhodes that became the prototype of the New York Statue of Liberty and the Statue of Christ the Savior in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2008, the Greek government announced its intention to restore the semi-mythical Colossus of Rhodes. But the modern god Helios will be even more majestic. It is expected that its height will reach 60-100 meters.