The ancient Colossus of Rhodes reportedly took 12 years to build.
Ancient accounts place its construction after Rhodes successfully resisted a siege by Demetrius I of Macedon. The Rhodians sold abandoned siege equipment and used the proceeds to finance the monument, which honored Helios, their sun god.
The sculptor Chares of Lindos is traditionally credited with designing and building the statue. Construction is usually dated from about 292 to 280 BC, giving the project a reported duration of twelve years.
The Colossus stood for only a few decades before an earthquake toppled it around 226 BC. Later writers described its fallen remains, but modern images showing it straddling the harbor entrance are not supported by the ancient evidence.