The Rhodians were effective in defeating Poliocretes after around a year, he withdrew the blockade and negotiated a peace treaty in 304 BC, which Poliocretes hailed as a success since Rhodes consented to remain impartial in his conflict with Egypt. In his effort to seize the city, Poliocretes even erected the now-famous siege tower named the Helepolis.Īpproximate 3D model and cross-section of the Helepolis (2012) Evan Mason, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons During the assault, both sides deployed a variety of technological measures, including mines and counter-mines, as well as numerous blockade devices. The town’s fortifications were penetrated early in the invasion, and a handful of men had managed to enter the city however, they were all murdered, so Poliocretes did not advance his attack any further and the walls were later restored. Meanwhile, his forces decimated the island and established a massive camp near the town yet out of striking range. He initially constructed a second harbor beside the existing one and excavated a trench from which he launched a floating boom, yet he was still never able to seize the harbor. The island’s harbor and town were well secured and Poliocretes was incapable of preventing supply ships from bypassing his blockade of ships, so seizing the harbor became his primary objective. The French squadron entering Newport under the fire of the batteries and forcing the passage on August 8, 1778: This was the day that the Americans passed on the Isle of Rode Island by way of Howland’s ferry Ozanne, Pierre, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons More than 1,000 private merchant ships tailed his forces in expectation of the wealth his victories would provide. Poliocretes enlisted the help of various pirate ships in addition to a naval fleet of more than 200 war vessels. The majority of the Greek community, whether Demetrius’ supporters or not, saw the invasion as an illegitimate raid of the island, and felt sympathy for the Rhodian people, and this sentiment was shared even among the Macedonians. Poliocretes also envisioned Rhodes being utilized as a potential headquarters for his operations, and this fueled his intentions of besieging the island. However, they had strong ties with Ptolemy I, and Demetrius Poliocretes was concerned that the Rhodians might provide him with ships. To safeguard the trade route, Rhodes established neutrality agreements with neighboring nations. The island of Rhodes was seen as an extremely significant region, as with its large naval forces and tactically advantageous location, it controlled who was able to gain entry into the Aegean Sea. The History of the Famous Colossus of Rhodes Statue 292 BC) by Chares of Lindos from the French book Voyage Aux Sept Merveilles Du Monde (1880) by Lucien Augé de Lassus gravure sur bois de Sidney Barclay numérisée Google, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons However, one contentious element of the entire proposal remains standing in their way: exactly where was the statue of the Seven Wonders, Colossus of Rhodes, originally located in the harbor? Due to the popularity of the Colossus statue, there have been several proposals to rebuild it since 2008. By the time Muawiyah I, an Arabian general, had overthrown the local Rhodian rulers in 653 AD, it was reported that nothing remained of the legendary Seven Wonders of the Ancient World statue. The local islanders were even dubbed Colossaeans by foreigners due to the widespread fame of the Colossus statue. Based on descriptions currently available, the Colossus of Rhodes was roughly equivalent in size to the modern Statue of Liberty (1876), at around 33 meters – making it the largest of the ancient world’s statues.Īn earthquake was the cause of the “Colossus” statue’s ultimate demise, which occurred in 226 BC, but there were recovered parts that were preserved at the time. The Colossus statue was constructed as a symbol of the island inhabitant’s successful defenses against the Macedonian military leader Demetrius Poliocretes, who for more than a year, had terrorized the islanders with his naval and army forces. 4.3 How Big Was the Colossus of Rhodes?Ĭounted among the Seven Wonders, the Colossus of Rhodes was a huge and impressive monument created to celebrate a victory that occurred centuries ago on the Greek island of Rhodes.4.2 What Happened to the Colossus of Rhodes?.4.1 Why Was the Colossus of Rhodes Built?. 3 The Colossus Statue in the Modern Era.2.6 Removal of the Fragments of the Colossus of Rhodes.2.5 The Collapsed State of the Colossus Statue After the Earthquake.2.4 Potential Locations for the Colossus of Rhodes.2.3 Descriptions of the Seven Wonders’ Colossus of Rhodes.2.2 Construction of the Colossus Statue.2 The History of the Famous Colossus of Rhodes Statue.
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