Colossus of Rhodes stood 30 meters high in island of Rhodes. In antichity island of Rhodes was an important economic centre. The island was conquered by Mausolus of Halicarnassus in 357 B.C., fell into persian hands in 340 B.C and finally conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.
When Alexander died, three of his generals: Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigous divided his enourmous kingdom. But it was a great struggle, in which Rhodians supported Ptolemy. Antigous, to punish rhodians, sent his son Demetrius to Rhodes with 40,000 men. The war was long and painful, but finally arrived ships from Egypt and victory was won.
Demetrius left behaind many war machines and rhodians melted down all bronze from them in order to build the statue. The architect of the statue was Chares of Lindos, who also fought in defence of the city against Demetrius.
For fifty six years the statue stood proudly and looked over harbour of Rhodes. Then the earthquake destroed it, remained only one big peace which layed in harbour for centuries till arab conquistators broked it to small peaces and sold.
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