Macedon would abandon their siege equipment including the massive Helepolis tower made of Bronze. Both sides signed a peace agreement where Rhodes would remain neutral and Macedon would leave. Macedon could not secure a foothold on the walls of Rhodes and its inventions failed to help.Īs such, in 304 BC the Siege of Rhodes was lifted. The city of Rhodes was too well fortified and could easily have its ships escape from a blockade to resupply the city. However, for a year both sides could not secure a victory in the siege. In response to this the Macedonians built the medieval siege tower, which was called the Helepolis. The Rhodesians built a series of primitive mines that prevented ladders from being deployed to scale the walls. Both the Rhodesians and the Macedonians would build amazing machines to help in the siege. Upon getting to the city Macedon was surprised to find out that Rhodes had been alerted to their advance and had set up their defenses.įor nearly a year both sides would fight each other. Over 1,000 military and private Macedonian ships made their way to Rhodes. This was the start of one of the most popular sieges in the history of the Greek world. Along with securing the city Macedon was also interested in plundering the wealthy city.Īs such, in 305 BC Macedon launched a surprise invasion of the Island of Rhodes to force Rhodes to support Macedon. Having grown a huge maritime navy and trading empire Rhodes was essentially a jewel in the middle of the Aegean Sea. On top of this Rhodes was one of the most wealthy city-states in all of Greece. This would prove disastrous for Macedon as they could not defeat Rhodes superior fleet power and the military might of Egypt at the same time. The fear of the Macedonian King, Antigonus I, was that Rhodes would eventually side with Ptolemy of Egypt. However, even though Rhodes maintained neutrality they were close friends with the Greek Pharaoh of Egypt, Ptolemy I. Rhodes itself was a maritime republic that focused heavily upon being a naval power that taxed the passage of goods in and out of the Aegean Sea. The reason for this siege was Rhodes neutrality in an ongoing war between the Macedonian King and the King of Egypt. The Island of Rhodes was besieged in 305 BC. The Siege Of Rhodes (305-304 BC) Creating The Colossus Of Rhodes This is important because the Rhodesians would build the Colossus of Rhodes to represent themselves being protected from attack by Helios. Sun crowns are everywhere and they represent Helios the Greek sun God who watches over the Island of Rhodes. Today when you travel to the Greek Island you will discover an ancient history carved into the stone of the island. (One of the most famous travelers to the Island of Rhodes was the second emperor of Rome, Tiberius.)Īs such, the Island of Rhodes would always be associated with the sun god Helios. ![]() A paradise in the Aegean Sea, the Island of Rhodes would attract tourists from all over the world who traveled to take part in the laid back atmosphere of the Island. Known for its near constant sunlight and pleasing atmosphere the island was believed to have been created by the union of both Helios (sun) and Rhodes (pleasing atmosphere).Įven 2,000 years ago the Island of Rhodes was known for its beauty and amazing weather. How The Island Of Rhodes Became Associated With The Greek Sun God HeliosĪccording to legend the island of Rhodes was formed when the sun god Helios married the daughter of Aphrodite, the nymph Rhodes.įrom this union the island of Rhodes appeared. ![]() ![]() Without further ado, here is an article going over the Colossus of Rhodes’s history and reason for being built. If at the end of this article you enjoyed it then consider subscribing to the free newsletter and sharing around the web. Here at The History Ace I strive to publish the best history articles on the internet. For thousands of years this massive statue has inspired other statues such as the Colossus of Nero. ![]() The history of the Colossus of Rhodes is fascinating. The statue would stand for 54 years before collapsing into the Aegean Sea following an earthquake in 226 BC. After the siege was abandoned the Rhodians sold and melted down the bronze equipment to build a massive 105 foot tall statue to the city’s patron god Helios. The Colossus of Rhodes was built after the year-long siege of Rhodes which lasted from 305-304 BC. Here is the history behind the statue and its reason for being built. This amazing statue stood at an estimated 105 feet tall and was made of bronze. One of the ancient wonders of the world, the Colossus Of Rhodes stood for only a meager 54 years before falling into the sea. Further Reading The 4 Most Important Cit y -States Of Classical Greece
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