The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek sun god Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name, by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate the successful defence of Rhodes city against an attack by Demetrius I of Macedon, who had besieged it for a year with a large army and navy.
Colossus of Rhodes, artist's impression, 1880
Artist's conception from the Grolier Society's 1911 Book of Knowledge
The Colossus as imagined in a 16th-century engraving by Martin Heemskerck, part of his series of the Seven Wonders of the World
Silver tetradrachm of Rhodes showing Helios and a rose (205–190 BC, 13.48 g)
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture that represents persons or animals in full figure but that is small enough to lift and carry is a statuette or figurine, whilst one more than twice life-size is a colossal statue.
Statue of Unity (2018), the world's tallest statue, Gujarat, India
Hermes and the Infant Dionysus by Praxiteles, 4th century BC, Archaeological Museum of Olympia, Greece
Urfa Man, in the Şanlıurfa Museum; sandstone, 1.80 metres (5 ft 11 in) c. 9,000 BC
Michelangelo's David, 1504, The Accademia Gallery, Florence, Italy
