What material was the Colossus of Nero made of?

The Colossus of Nero was made of bronze. This enormous statue, known in Latin as the Colossus Neronis, was commissioned by Emperor Nero for his Domus Aurea palace complex in Rome. Ancient accounts place its height at roughly 30 metres, although some later estimates were higher.

After Nero’s death in AD 68, his successors altered the statue. Vespasian added a sun-god crown and transformed it into an image of Sol, while Emperor Commodus later replaced its head with one depicting himself as Hercules. Around AD 128, Emperor Hadrian moved it near the Flavian Amphitheatre, reportedly using 24 elephants.

A common mix-up is confusing the bronze Colossus with the Colosseum itself. The amphitheatre was primarily built from concrete, travertine, tuff and brick, not bronze. The statue’s proximity may also have helped give the amphitheatre its later name. The Colossus disappeared in late antiquity; only traces of its pedestal remain today.