The Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes, a wonder of the ancient world
Location: At the entrance of the harbor of the Mediterranean island of Rhodes in Greece
Throughout most of its history, ancient Greece was comprised of city-states which had
limited power beyond their boundary. On the small island of Rhodes were three of these:
Ialysos, Kamiros, and Lindos. In 408 BC, the cities united to form one territory, with a unified
capital, Rhodes. The city thrived commercially and had strong economic ties with their main
ally, Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt. In 305 BC, the Antigonids of Macedonia who were also rivals
of the Ptolemies, besieged Rhodes in an attempt to break the Rhodo-Egyptian alliance. They
could never penetrate the city. When a peace agreement was reached in 304 BC, the