The statue stood for 56 years until Rhodes was hit by the 226 BC Rhodes earthquake. The interior of the structure, which stood on a 15-meter high white marble pedestal near the Mandraki harbor entrance, was filled with stone blocks as construction progressed. The statue itself was over 30 meters tall.Īncient accounts, which differ to some degree, describe the structure as being built with iron tie bars to which brass plates were fixed to form the skin. The construction began in 292 BC and finished twelve years later, in 280 BC.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek titan-god of the sun Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name, by Chares of Lindos.īeing considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, It was constructed to celebrate Rhodes’ victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus. ►The Colossus of Rhodes, statue built in Helios’ honor by Chares of Lindos: As a matter of fact, one of the island’s main attractions, the Colossus of Rhodes, was built in his honor. Rhode gave her name to the famous Greek island of Rhodes and Helios was the island’s patron deity and t he Rhodians worshipped Helios. To stop it, Zeus killed him with a bolt of lightning.Īnother wife of Helios was the Nymph Rhode (meaning “rose” in the Greek language). In one ocassion, he drove his father’s chariot and, as he rode it alternately too close to the earth, he set the earth on fire. Phaethon was, as we said, Helios’ and the sea-nymph Clymene’ s son. These three daughters and two Helios had by Neaera, Lampetie and Phaethusa, were known as the Heliades. “Clytie Transformed into a Sunflower” by Charles de Lafosse (17th century).īy the Oceanid Clymene, Helios had a son Phaeton and maybe Augeas, and three daughters, Aegiale, Aegle, and Aetheria. After nine days she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, the turnsole, which turns its head always to look longingly at Helios’ chariot of the sun. Modern traditions substitute the turnsole with a sunflower, which is said to turn in the direction of the sun. She remained mourning Helios’ departure with neither food nor drink, for nine days on the rocks, staring at the sun, Helios. Since Helios had defiled Leucothea, Orchamus had her put to death by burial alive in the sands. Helios, having loved her, abandoned her for another nymph, called Leucothea.Ĭlythie was so angered by his treatment that she told Leucothea’s father, Orchamus, about the affair. Both of their names mean “the famous one”, and Clymene’s title Merope (“with turning face”) aptly describes the behaviour of the flower. Helios was first married to his sister, Selene. Quintus Smyrnaeus makes Helios and Selene the parents of the Horae, the four Goddesses of the seasons.īut overall he had many wives, among them the Oceanid Perse from their union, Helios became the father of king Aeetes, Circe and Pasiphae, the wife of Minos and mother of the Minotaur.Ĭlythie was also included among Helios’ lovers.Ĭlymene (Phaeton’s mother) was probably also identified with Clytie. When he reached the the land of the Hesperides (Evenings) in the West he descended into a golden cup which carried him around the northern streams of Okeanos back to his rising place in the East.
From there he emerged each dawn driving a chariot drawn by four, fiery winged steeds and crowned with the aureole of the sun. It is interesting to note that the Dawn goddess Eos began the procession of morning, followed closely by her brother Helios.Īccording to the original myth, Helios dwelt in a golden palace located in the River Okeanos at the eastern ends of the earth.
In Hesiod’s “Theogony ”, therefore, Helios was also the brother of Eos (the goddess of Dawn) and Selene (the goddess of the Moon). His sun-chariot was drawn by four steeds, sometimes winged.Īs stated by Hesiod, Helios was the son of two Titans: Theia and Hyperion. Helios was depicted as a handsome, and usually beardless, man clothed in purple robes and crowned with the shining aureole of the sun. Helios was known by the names Sol and Phoebus in Roman mythology. Helios was the Greek God Sun. He was also the guardian of oaths and the god of gift of sight.Īround the time of Euripides, the sun of Helios became identified with Apollo. “Helios on His Chariot” (Detail) by Hans Adam Weissenkircher (17th century).
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