What caused the collapse of The Colossus of Rhodes in 224 AD?

The Colossus of Rhodes was a great bronze statue, erected in about 280 BC by the citizens of Rhodes, capital of the Greek island of the same name.

It represented their sun-god Helios and was said to be 105 feet high. According to legend, it straddled the harbor entrance, but it is more likely that it stood to one side. The statue was overthrown by an earthquake in 224 BC but its huge fragments long were regarded with wonder. Nearly a thousand years later, in AD 656, a Muslim dealer bought the fragments as old metal and carried them away to be melted down.

More Info: homepage.eircom.net

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41 Comments

Cedric Walters

We in America find ourselves with a person who thinks he is a god . Let's see how it works out

Spod OneThousand

The answer given says it was 224BC not AD Something is wrong with the Q/A

Robert Hicks

It was 226 BC--not 224 AD

Jacqueline Tattam

BC not AD

William Laughlin

tesla alset, You are incorrect. Your comment sets the incident forward by 4.5 centuries! It was 226 B.C., not 224 AD.

pdeloriol

no-one is sure what caused its collapse, although there were several earthquakes in that area during those years.

Joanne Serin

Cedric Walters, he was impeached again and will definitely be out in a week!

illonabird

Karin Johansson, 29 more days and then he is consigned to the history books for better or worse.

Miriam Gudgeon

Visited Rhodes, lovely place, interesting history.

Chrissie

Corey Taylor, 1) it was already ruined and in pieces 2) THEY sold it to him! His religion is irrelevant.

Andy the educated troglodyte

Rashi Rosenzweig, I don't know where you plucked that little gem from, but it is drivel. The Statue of Liberty is modeled after the Roman goddess of freedom, Libertas. The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and seven continents to further indicate the universal concept of liberty. So unwrap your brain and try again.

Jim Adams

Does it really matter when it happened? The only thing we really know is there was a Colossus of Rhodes. That an earthquake caused it to collapse may or may not be the truth, for the present I’m going to go with earthquake.

stellaclaude

Cedric Walters, he’s this far from being a total dictator! And the American people are letting it happen!

Char

Donald Lewis, I don't think so you looking in that mirror again thinking its Obama you see when its actually a Trump cult person looking at you. You all need new mirrors and apparently a few more things.