Many tourists try to visit the place where the legendary giant stood, trying to get even a little closer to the truth: how did the divine giant really look like.
Rhodes is a unique island, washed by the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas and created, according to legend, by the god of the sun himself. Its name is inextricably linked to the outstanding sculptural creation and official "wonder of the world", the Colossus of Rhodes. It is this monument that has become a trendsetter for giant sculptures and a source of pride for Rhodesians.
Myths and legends
According to legend, Rhodes was created by the sun god Helios, who is still considered by locals as their patron. The legend of how their island miraculously appeared on earth has been passed on by word of mouth.
When the world was divided on Olympus, Helios was absent - he performed his daily duties of riding his golden chariot around the sky. As a result the sun god was left without possessions and the great Zeus was about to start the division all over again. But the peace-loving Helios did not want to quarrel with anyone and created his own piece of land. He plunged his hands into the sea and removed a handful of earth from the bottom, which became a beautiful island, named after Helios's beloved nymph Rhodes.
Our days
Today Rhodes is an incredibly beautiful land along the coast and the mountainous central part, rivers, comfortable bays and picturesque beaches. Looking at this paradisiacal place, there is no doubt about its divine origin. From a great height, the island does indeed resemble a huge handful, seventy-seven kilometers long and thirty-seven kilometers wide. All this splendor, combined with ancient myths and legends, induces an inexplicable mystical awe and admiration in the average person.
To get into the spirit and history of the famous statue, you need to get to the city port of Rhodes - Mandraki. At the entrance immediately catch the eye two giant columns, which were part of the legs of the deity. From these remains we can judge the real size of the monument.
Prehistory
In ancient times Rhodes was the center of the economy and was the envy of many neighboring countries. The island was many times conquered but its walls held back the onslaught of its enemies which the locals thought to be a blessing from Helios.
It happened when Rhodes withstood a year-long siege by the forty-thousand strong army of Demetrius (son of one of Alexander the Great's commanders Antigonus). Rejoicing in their victory, the islanders decided to honor their divine patron and erect a giant statue in his honor that would be visible even to the neighboring islands.
The funds for the construction were raised from the sale of the siege machines of the enemy army - a total of three hundred talans. The original dimensions of the monument were 18 meters, but in the process, it was decided to double the height. The famous architect of Heres was chosen as the master builder.
Work on the statue of Colossus of Rhodes took 12 years! It took thirteen tons of bronze and eight tons of iron to create the monument of unprecedented size.
The fate of Jerez
When they decided to double the height of the statue, the amount of building material, and accordingly the costs of the process of creating the giant, increased by 8 times. Jerez had to borrow huge sums from family and friends to give life to his greatest creation. But instead of recognition and fame, ruin befell the unfortunate sculptor. The persecution of creditors led to the tragic outcome - the master's suicide.
Hypotheses, theories, conjectures
It is still reliably unknown what the sculpture of the Greek god actually looked like. According to ancient sources, it is difficult to understand the details, but there are versions that the sculpture was a stately young man on a marble pedestal, with a crown on his head and a torch in his hand. Some ascribe to him a hanging cloak which he held up with his hand, others are sure his arm was outstretched in a sign of blessing and others are sure that the young man stood with his hand turned backwards and his forehead raised to his forehead, allegedly gazing into the sea.
Another hypothesis suggests that the real size of the statue was much larger than known - up to 60 meters.
The grandiose crash
The life of the great Colossus was not long even by human standards - only 50-60 years. Around 225 B.C., the sculpture was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. The giant, broken at the knees, collapsed to the ground and lay defeated for another thousand years or so. Many sympathized rhodossians. the Egyptian king Ptolemy III was ready to pay for the restoration of the divine symbol of the island, but the locals believed the Delphic oracle, which categorically forbade it. And so ended the age of one of the wonders of the world, originally from Rhodes.
Life after death
In the tenth century, the Arabs seized power on the island and sold the wreckage of the Colossus to a Jewish merchant. It is said that it took about 900 camels to transport all the parts of the defeated god! There is speculation that the sculpture was later melted down for coinage. Who knows, maybe now somewhere in museums there are these unique pieces of the giant.
The idea of restoring the great symbol of Rhodes has been haunting the lovers of history and cultural relics for a long time. Today the project is being prepared for implementation, involving the erection of the Colossus on a scale of 60 to 100 meters. The cost of the work is about 200 million euros, most of which was committed to pay for the German Gert Hof.
The homeland of Colossus will not leave you indifferent: it will paralyze you with its external splendor and internal color. You can feel a part of one of the rarest wonders of the world at the foot of the legendary giant, gazing into the vast sea, which opened to his majestic gaze. Perhaps in years to come other tourists will come to Rhodes to appreciate the new and modernized Colossus, but you will keep in your memory an unforgettable experience of the remains of the real giant.
In the port you can visit several local attractions that are realistic to walk around. Bring swimsuits, as the northern part of the coast has a marvelous beach with clear water and a beach of pebbles. It is not superfluous money for incidental expenses: souvenirs and paid walks on the sea.
You can get to the port of Mondraki by bus or cab. The terminus is located in the vicinity of the harbor. The fare ranges from 1 to 9 euros - depending on the point of departure. Travel vouchers can be purchased at the bus stations or from the driver.
