The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-30
The Colossus of Rhodes.

Tradition has it, as is well known, that al
the entrance to the port of Rhodes there
was standing gigantic statue of Apollo,
with outstretched legs, one foot resting on a
lower mole, and the other on higher; hold
ing bow in his hand, and in the other
raised high above his head, an immense ba-
sin, in which large fire was constantly
maintained. The size of the statue, report
added, was so colossal that the largest YES
sells could easily pass between the legs.
The facts unfortunately are, that the Co.
lossus of Rhodes never served as a light
house, and that vessels never passed beneath
it into the harbor.
The whole story rests upon the highly 70
mantle account found in very indifferent
compiler of the seventeenth century, who
for the first time mentions the Colossus as
serving as light house, but certainly alb
stains from giving his authority for the state
ment. Another writer, of even less judg-
ment, a translator of Philostrates, added
subsequently the story of the vessels passing
between the outstretched legs of the statue,
This author, also, is discreetly silent as to
the source from which he has derived his
information.
What, then, is the truth about the Colos-
sus? There is no lack of reliable state
ments concerning the statue. Strabo quotes
fragment of an epigram in Iambic verses
in which the name of the architect, Chares,
from Lindos, town on the island of Rhodes,
and the dimensions of his great work, sew
enty yards in height, are both mentioned
He adds that the Colossus was, in his day,
lying on the ground, having been overthrow
by fearful earthquake, which destroyed a
large portion of the city. "The Rhodians, :"
he says, "dared not raise it again, warned
by an oracle" and that is literally all the
illustrious geographer seems to have learned
about the Colossus. Pliny, however, gives
us additional and interesting details.
"The statue, he says, "fell fifty six years
after its erection; but although thrown down,
is still marvel. Few men are able with
their arms to span its thumb; its fingers are
larger than most Of our statues. It's dis
iointed limbs form vast caverns, and in the
inside are yet TO be seen enormous masses
of stone, by means of which it had been
balanced. They say it cost three hundred
talents-a sum which the Rhodans obtained
from the sale of implements of war, left by
Demetrius before the city, when he aban-
doned the siege in despair A clever en-
gneer of the third century before Christ,
Philo of Bysantium, is the third author who
gives, in his interesting work on the Seven
Wonders of the World--if it really is his
a still more detailed description of the sta
tue; but as has been seen, not one of these
writer's speaks either of the lighthouse, or
of the marvellous fact that ships could have
sailed beneath the Colossus.
For nine hundred years the gigantic limbs
remained lying near the entrance of the
harbor, the pride of the inhabitants and the
wonder of all travellers. In 672, however,
the Arabs came, in the rapture of their first
successes, to Rhodes also; and their general,
one of Othman's ieutenants, caused the
pieces to be cut up, and sold the metal to a
Jew, who is said to have loaded 900 camels
with the precious burden. Thus every trace