The Colossus of Rhodes stood for approximately 54 years before an earthquake toppled it. The enormous bronze statue was completed around 280 BC and collapsed in an earthquake around 226 BC.
The statue represented Helios, the sun god and patron deity of Rhodes. The Rhodians commissioned it after successfully defending their city against the siege led by Demetrius I of Macedon. They sold abandoned siege equipment to help finance the project, and the sculptor Chares of Lindos directed its construction.
Ancient descriptions place the Colossus at about 33 meters tall, making it the tallest statue in the ancient world. Contrary to many modern illustrations, historians do not know that it straddled the harbor entrance; that image is generally considered impractical and unsupported by ancient evidence. After the earthquake, the Rhodians did not rebuild it, reportedly following advice attributed to the Oracle of Delphi. Its fallen remains were later famous for centuries.