Carpe Diem #332, Colossus of Rhodes

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are almost at the end of this journey along the Seven Ancient World Wonders and I have seen and read wonderfully composed haiku inspired on these World Wonders and that's the goal of this journey. Just to share a bit history for your inspiration. If not possible to write haiku about the World Wonders then I hope that the post inspire you to write haiku ... no obligations, feel free and have fun. Haiku is fun and I love that poetry form a lot. I started Carpe Diem Haiku Kai because of my love for haiku and to share haiku with the world and maybe ... inspire others to start writing haiku.

Today we are on Rhodes where once stood a great Colossus as a victorious statue at the waterfront of Rhodes.This bronze statue representing Helios, Greek sun god, had been built by the sculptor Charas of Lindos to commemorate the end of the seat of the city, which took place into 305 BC, and the victory of Rhodiens against the Macedonian chief Démétrios Poliorcète.

The colossus of Rhodes was located in the wearing of Rhodes in Greece, probably at the end of the current Saint-Nicolas Day mole, where some marble blocks have been found and could have been used to build the base of the statue. The colossus of Rhodes was set up between 303 and 291 BC, so it took twelve years of hard work to totally finish it.

An impression of the Colossus of Rhodes, this impression gives the Colossus as it almost certain was, because in those times they couldn't built such a statue with legs split as you can see on the most pictures of the Colossus.

Made of bronze and based on marble block, the statue was 32 meters (105 feet) height from the top of the head to the feet, that is to say 14 meters (46 feet) less than the statue of liberty in New York. The height enabled the statue to be visible by the ships approaching to the port. In his raised arm, the sun god held a torch while his other arm was pressed on a lance. Contrary to the illustrations we usually find, ships were not passing under the colossuses’ legs to enter in the wearing of Rhodes. It was technically impossible that the statue had its legs split.
The statue had been partially destroyed in 225 BC after a earthquake. Then, in 653 AC, all the material (more than 13 tons of bronze and nearly 7 tons of iron, according to Philon) is taken by an Arab expedition to be sold to a Jewish merchant of Ephesea. The statue has been raised at the entry of the port for only 65 years.

Another possible impression of the Colossus of Rhodes

We can say that the colossus of Rhodes is part of the seven wonders because of its exemplary vastness. Moreover, it should well be realized that this Greek monument is the result of a very huge technical prowess which is characterized, amongst other things, by the use of terra cotta moulds necessary to the casting of the colossus. According to the legend, Charas of Lindos commited a suicide when he discovered an error in his calculations. An error that one of his assistants had to correct.

Rhodes is one of the bigger islands of Greece and it has a wonderful history. The old city of Rhodes is since 1988 on the UNESCO world heritage-list. 

Rhodes

I have never been there, but it looks like a wonderful, rich of history, Greek Island to visit, maybe once ...

ancient greek statue
nowadays just a figment -
outstretched beaches

outstretched beaches
packed with tourist from all over the globe -
sound of breakers

sound of breakers
still there - telling stories
of years past

Well ... this was the post about the Colossus of Rhodes and now we have to visit the last of the Seven Ancient World Wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria. With that Lighthouse we will end our journey along the Seven Ancient World Wonders ... and then back to the normal routine of our daily prompts.

Hope you did like this post and that it will inspire you to write haiku, senryu, tanka or kyoka. No obligations, feel free and have fun. This episode will stay on 'till October 27th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our last stop on our journey along the Seven Ancient World Wonders later on today around 7.00 PM (CET).

!! Colossus of Rhodes is open for your submissions at 7.00 PM (CET) !!