Rhodes, Greece

Earthquake 226

The Disappointed Tourist: Colossus of Rhodes, Ellen Harvey, 2024. Oil and acrylic on Gessoboard, 24 x 18″ (61 x 46 cm). Photograph: Etienne Frossard.

The Colossus of Rhodes (Ancient Greek: ὁ Κολοσσὸς Ῥόδιος, Greek: Κολοσσός της Ρόδου) was a statue of the Greek sun-god Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, by Charles of Lindos in 280 BC. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate the successful defence of the city against a siege by Demetrius Poliorcetes. According to contemporary accounts, the statue was approximately 108 ft (33 m) high. It collapsed in the 226 earthquake and was not rebuilt on the instructions of the oracle. The ruins were destroyed and the remains sold after an Arab force conquered Rhodes in 653. The painting is based on a 1880 engraving by Sidney Barclay imagining what the statue might have looked like .

I would love to have seen it. Vince W.

Because it is a place which you can’t visit since the Colossus is not there anymore. Also, if it was a myth or not isn’t sure. Kelly C.