COLOSSUS OF RHODES

The colossus of Rhodes was a statue aof the Greek god Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes on the Greek island of Rhodes by Chares of Lindos between 292 and 280 BC. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Before its destruction, the Colossus of Rhodes stood over 30 meters high, making it ne of tallest statues of the ancient world.

POSTURE: The harbor-straddling Colossus was a figment of medieval imaginations based on the dedication text´s mention of "over land and sea" twicw. Many older illustrations show the statue with one foot on either side of the harbor mouth with ships passing under it "... the brazen giant of Greek fame, with conquering limbs astride from land to land", a poem engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the statue of Liberty in 1903.

LOCATION OF THE RUINS:

Media reports in 1989 initially suggested that large stones found on the seabed off the coas tof Rhodes might have been the remains of the Colossus ; however this teory was later shown to be without merit.

REBUILDING:

There has been much debate as to whether to rebuild the Colossus. Those in favor say it would boost tourism in Rhodes greatly, but those against construction say it would cost too large an amount (over 100 million euro). This idea has been revived many times since it was first proposed in 1970 but, due to lack of funding, work has not yet started.