1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: the show, fellow Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so 3 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: much for tuning in. Let's hear it for a wonder 4 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: of the modern podcasting world. Our super producer, mister Max Williams. 5 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 1: Who do we have joining us here? None other than 6 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: the man, the myth, the legend, a wonder old zone. 7 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: It's mister Noel Brown. 8 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 2: Desired, thank you very much. Not much of a colossus, 9 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: more of a what's the what's the opposite of a colossus? 10 00:00:58,720 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: A pigmy? 11 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: Oh no, come now, man, that's charged. You're a Titan. 12 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:05,919 Speaker 2: Thank you, buddy, I remember those guys. 13 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're welcome by grow my name from that movie 14 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: Clash of the Titans. 15 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 2: Remember the Titans Titans. Yeah, that's a football movie with 16 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: what's that guy's name, Denzel Washington, the ragtag football kind 17 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:23,559 Speaker 2: of crew. 18 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: Who says he no longer watches films. By the way, 19 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: my name is Ben Bollen. We are going to talk 20 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: about a continuing series. Way back in the days of yore, 21 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: by which means several years ago, we got together in 22 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,919 Speaker 1: one of our pitch meetings and we started asking ourselves 23 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: what are the Wonders of the Ancient World? Do you 24 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: remember that one? 25 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: Oh? How could I forget? What? Do we have? The 26 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: Hanging Gardens of Babylon? The of course? Did we do 27 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,559 Speaker 2: the Pyramids of Giza? Certainly we did, Maybe we didn't. 28 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 2: We've certainly talked about that one. 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 3: I'm saving for last because that's the only one we 30 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 3: actually know. 31 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 2: For n h. Yeah, those are still around, you can 32 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: still catch them. We did the Did we do Easter Island? No, 33 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 2: we talked about that actually recently on stuff they don't 34 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: want you to do. Yes, I'm so sorry, Max. It 35 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 2: was a great series, but I'm spacing on all of 36 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: the ones that we did. Babylon is the one that 37 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: I know for sure. 38 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: We're also going to have a metacognitive series or a 39 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: meta series, at least an episode on what makes a 40 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: wonder because, as we found in our exploration, a little 41 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: bit of an arbitrary ranking. Who are we to judge? Well, 42 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: we're your pals over at Ridiculous History. This is part 43 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: four of the Wonders of the Ancient World, and we're 44 00:02:48,560 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: talking about the Colossus of Roads. Unlike some of our 45 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 1: previous stuff. To your point, nol, the Colossus totally existed. 46 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: Maybe we start with knocking out a little bit of 47 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: background devo, a little bit of context. Maybe we start 48 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: with a buddy of ours, Greek god named Helios. 49 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,119 Speaker 2: Indeed, Helios according to our pals over Britannica, as the 50 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 2: Greek sun god. Britannica knows that he was actually a Titan, 51 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 2: child of the Titan Hyperion and Theia, the Titans in 52 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: fact plural, while he, according to Britannica, drove a chariot 53 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 2: daily from east to west across the sky and sailed 54 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 2: around the northerly stream of ocean each night in a 55 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: huge cup. In classical Greece, Helios was especially worshiped in Rhodes, 56 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 2: where from at least the early fifth century BCE he 57 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: was regarded as the chief god to whom the island belonged. 58 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 2: His work spread as he became increasingly identified with other deities, 59 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: often under Eastern influence. 60 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: All right, so let's talk a little bit about that 61 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: aforementioned Roads in the earlier quote, especially worshiped in Roads. 62 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: As we'll see, folks, with a big shout out to 63 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: our research associate Max Williams spoiler also our super producer, 64 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: there's a lot of what Corporate America would call synergy 65 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:33,119 Speaker 1: between these two between these two concepts. The thing about 66 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 1: the City of Roads is that the City of Roads 67 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: in that time is on an island in the Mediterranean 68 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: Sea that is closer to modern day Turkey than it 69 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: is to modern day Greece. Just because we always love 70 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: our history complicated, that island is also called Roads. So 71 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: there's a city called Roads, there's an island called Roads. 72 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: And to our friends at Britannica, again, tip of the cap, 73 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: the largest urban center on the island, Roads sits at 74 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: the northeasternmost tip of Roads. 75 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: The island got it. Indeed, they go on to say 76 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: that in classical history, Rhodes was a massively crucial and 77 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: powerful maritime force. It also had a lot of influence 78 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 2: on Mediterranean history, as well as the preservation of architecture 79 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 2: of the Gothic and Ottoman styles. So we've got a 80 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 2: sun god who hangs out on the water and a 81 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 2: city on the water, and now it's time for us 82 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 2: to talk about how this thing actually got built. 83 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: The city of Rhodes, writes mart Cart right, who we 84 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: are not doing an impression of with each five haulbas 85 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: was ideally placed on the island of the same name. 86 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: The prosper from trade during the Hellenistic domination of the 87 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: Mediterranean under Alexander the Great Successors, especially when more and 88 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: more cities were established in the east. The island's wealth 89 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: strategic position on these trade routes, they got noticed by 90 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: a lot of foreign grand pubas, a lot of. 91 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: Big to dos for sure. Is that is absolutely accurate. Antigonus, 92 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 2: who is one of Alexander's successors who controlled Macedon and 93 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 2: northern Greece, was one of those grand puba types, and 94 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 2: he sent his son Demetrius, the first of Macedon, to 95 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 2: attack roads between three or five and three or four BCE, 96 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 2: which off Mike Ben pointed out to me BCE counts backwards. 97 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 2: So there you go. The island's recent alliances with Antigonus's 98 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 2: rival Ptolemy, the first you might have heard of over 99 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 2: there in Egypt. It was another into attack roads and 100 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 2: to neutralize that naval fleet. 101 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, they were super beefed up, even if they couldn't 102 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: afford a lot of cattle at the time. So there's 103 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: this twelve month siege lasting what we would call a 104 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: year in the modern day. Our buddies, the Rhodians, the 105 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: people who live on the island or in the city 106 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: of Rhodes. They have a lot of stockades, blockations, fortifications, 107 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: and they're able to withstand this siege such that our 108 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:39,679 Speaker 1: buddy Demetrius says, look, will stop blockading you. We gotta 109 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: make stuff worthwhile for everybody. Let's negotiate a truce. And 110 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: so Demetrius from this gets his honorific We love it honorific. 111 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: This is how Demetrius gets the street name Besieger of Cities. 112 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: But he doesn't get much else from this. He just 113 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: leaves behind a bunch of his siege toys. 114 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 2: Where does he get these wonderful toys? It's a good question. 115 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 2: That includes thirty six point five meters of high tower 116 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 2: that the Rhodians were then able to sell off to 117 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 2: make a little scratch. And here is the thing. Thanks 118 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 2: to the Port's making them a center for trade, they 119 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 2: already had a ton of money, so they decided to 120 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: ball out further. Yeah just a bit, yeah, okay, I 121 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 2: love a smidge bit, max Uh and honor their patron God, 122 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 2: which is where we see Charles of Lindis entering the 123 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 2: chat rights. I knew you would do it. Charis not Charles. 124 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 2: That's a different dynasty entirely. Thank you, Max with the facts. 125 00:08:54,520 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 3: Phone. 126 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 2: Up in the knowledge it's just for you. 127 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:03,479 Speaker 3: Sofia, Mary. 128 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: Cares were Chars. If you guys preferred, don't call me Chuck. 129 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: Lindis is at the Helm and this guy is figured 130 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: out the wait for herculean task of sculpting this giant 131 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: thing they're calling Helios. And if you look back to 132 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: our buddy Plenty the Elder, a returning guest on the show, 133 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: This statue, the Colossus of Rhodes as we call it now, 134 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: it took a lot of effort. It took at least 135 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: twelve years to be completed, and they made a bronze 136 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: figure which stood about what we in the US would 137 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: call one hundred and. 138 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 2: Eight feet high. 139 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: Folks, we know that is not as tall as a 140 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: lot of others statues and sculptures today, but we have 141 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: to remember, just like if we were a very rude 142 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:12,359 Speaker 1: Ben Bolen traveling and seeing the Tower of London, sculpture 143 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: and structure and architecture back then was not as sophisticated 144 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: as it is now. We've learned a lot about the 145 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: nature of this statue. We've learned that he had a 146 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 1: bronze outer shell. They probably hammered that on in sheets, 147 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 1: assembled it on site, but no, they put so much 148 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: work into this the structure, the internal structure in particular. 149 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 2: One hundred percent. It required a lot of fortification inside. 150 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 2: Think of maybe like the Statue of Liberty and all 151 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 2: of the metal struts that exist withinside that structure to 152 00:10:55,400 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 2: keep a hollow shell of a sculpture from caving in 153 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 2: on itself. So it was supported by a series of 154 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 2: internal iron struts, and certain pieces got weighted down further 155 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 2: with stones to increase the stability. And Max pointed out, 156 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 2: and we must also point out that they did feel 157 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 2: it was important to include the penis. You gotta know 158 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 2: a colossal undertaking unto itself. 159 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: Which is funny because a lot of statuary at the 160 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: time praised small penises. 161 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 2: It's true, that is actly true, true, And we haven't 162 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:30,959 Speaker 2: seen the penis, so we can't speak to whether or 163 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 2: not it was a grower or a shower. 164 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: So we know that the statue's appearance in the modern 165 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: day is primarily based on guesswork and excellent research. But 166 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: it's not like you can call anyone today and ask 167 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 1: about how their experience was building the Colossus of Rhodes. 168 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,079 Speaker 1: The best way to say it is that there are 169 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: no surviving representations mock up sort scale models of the 170 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: colossus in other ancient art forms, So we didn't have 171 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: anybody hanging out building a little action figure version of 172 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: the colossus. 173 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, Palmer, that would have been cool. I would have 174 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 2: been how many points of articulation? 175 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: I think you, I knew you're yes right? Where's our 176 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: g I Joe of this? 177 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 2: What would the penis have been one of them? 178 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: And how articulate would it be? Prehensile penis? All right, 179 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: story for another day. The depictions of Helios on the 180 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 1: Hellenistic silver coin of Rhodes might be a reference point. 181 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: So if we look at that coinage, we can speculate 182 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: the statue may have had a lot more to it 183 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: than you see in film and fiction today. May have 184 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 1: had a crown of pointed sunbeams. 185 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:58,319 Speaker 2: Oh interesting, I did make a little reference earlier. 186 00:12:58,320 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: It s. 187 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 2: Very visible and famous statue that may have had something 188 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 2: to do with this guy. So we'll get to that 189 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 2: in a little bit. 190 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: Also may have descended from earlier depictions of the Anaki. 191 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:14,319 Speaker 1: All right, I'm gonna let. 192 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: It go Universe Crossover. Do check out the multi part 193 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:23,559 Speaker 2: series on the ancient godlike entities that are the aninachy 194 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 2: over on stuff they don't want you to know. 195 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: How well said? Oh my gosh, all right, So here's 196 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 1: the issue. You might be saying, Hey, guys, I'm a billionaire. 197 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: I travel around the world just to see stuff that 198 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: you talk about on ridiculous history. So where exactly on 199 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: the island of Rhoads or in the historic city of 200 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: Roads and the ruins thereof do I find this statue? Unfortunately, 201 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: the exact location of the statue is no longer known 202 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: because we have no record of any contemporary writer saying 203 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: exactly where it was, so we have to guess it's 204 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: maybe on what would have been the eastern side of 205 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: the harbor. 206 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 2: One hundred percent more concrete evidence well, actually the form 207 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 2: of sandstone would be a large circle of cut blocks 208 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 2: which could have served as the foundation for these statues base. 209 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 2: Add to that, there are also fine slightly curved marble 210 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 2: blocks randomly used in the fortresses walls that date back 211 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 2: to the third century BCE, as well as some odds 212 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 2: shaped stones which might have been part of the weights 213 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 2: that were used in the statues interior we talked about 214 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 2: to weigh down those iron struts to help support the structure. 215 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 2: A second possible location could be the High City center 216 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 2: where the sanctuary to Helios was located. And just to 217 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 2: paraphrase Mark Cartwright, who is an authority on subject the witches, 218 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: I've been doing up to this point in these descriptions 219 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 2: because he's really got it nailed down. We are talking 220 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 2: about the sanctuary of Helios and potentially hopefully reliable pieces 221 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 2: of masonry inscribed with some details as potential proof for 222 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 2: this version of the story. So, the Greeks did often 223 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 2: situate their statues of various deities near the sanctuary that 224 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 2: was dedicated to them, which makes sense. 225 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: So let's think of it this way. We go over 226 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: to the sanctuary and we say, as modern researchers, ah, 227 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: these rhodients super pro Helios. Surely they would have a 228 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: solid record of the statues of their deities, and maybe 229 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: their deities are next to the big fancy edifice and 230 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: building and structure that they dedicated to their gods. Unfortunately, 231 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: here in twenty twenty five, there have been extensive archaeological 232 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: investigations to the sanctuary site, and no traces of the 233 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: legendary Colossus of Roads have been found there. All we 234 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: can say, based on numerous reports, was that the Colossus 235 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: of Roads was massive for people at the time, if 236 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: not massive for people in modern ages, and it was 237 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: so popular that it ended up on coinage. It ended 238 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: up on currency. It was also referenced often in Hellenistic 239 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: sculpture and in art in general. It came to become iconic, right, 240 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: and I do agree with the idea that it later 241 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: informed larger sculptures like our Statue of Liberty here in 242 00:16:54,200 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: the United States. Unfortunately, like the Hellenistic Age itself. Shout 243 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: out to Mark Cartwright, the life of the statue, the 244 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: life of the colossus was pretty brief. It was too big, It. 245 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 2: Got too big to fail. It seems to have failed. 246 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, in one it got shattered into pieces. It was 247 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: picked over by something. 248 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 2: The statue of Statue of Zeus was another one that 249 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 2: we did that had a similar fate, right, you're. 250 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: Correct, And this statue, the Colossus of Rhodes, appears to 251 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 1: have fallen too an earthquake around two twenty six to 252 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 1: twenty five BCE, and people just left it where it was. 253 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 1: You know, like a gigantic corpse until about six hundred 254 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: and fifty four Common Era, So for centuries this thing 255 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: was just too big to move unless you stole little 256 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: scraps of it. And it's six point fifty four Common 257 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:09,120 Speaker 1: Era when forces from what we call Arabia raid roads 258 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: in the island as well as the city, and they 259 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: have the infrastructure to break this statue up. And you 260 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: know what they do. They don't put it in a 261 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: museum because Indiana Jones is not even a franchise yet. 262 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: Instead they sell the bronze from the exterior for scrap. 263 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 2: Ah. You hate to hear that that it also makes 264 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 2: sense because they had no reverence for this and in fact, 265 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 2: doing it that way was almost an act could be 266 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 2: seen as like an active defiance to the culture that 267 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 2: they are like dismantling. Right. 268 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: Well, it was very good for the camel and camel 269 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: handler industry because it took more than nine hundred camel 270 00:18:53,280 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: loads to get rid of all this bronze. And this 271 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: is where we go to the idea of the Statue 272 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 1: of Liberty. That's what we call it here in the 273 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: United States, famously at New York Harver. It is a 274 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: design of Frederic August BARTOLDI. It is supposed to be 275 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 1: to your earlier point, Noel, it's supposed to be a 276 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,880 Speaker 1: mark of symbolism. It is the ancient Colossus of Rhodes. 277 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: This is this is a one to one echo of this, 278 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: And we have a couple of quotations here. Maybe we 279 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: start with the dedication of the colossus itself. We know 280 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: this is quoted. 281 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 2: Widely to you, o son, the people of Dorian Rhodes 282 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 2: set up this bronze statue reaching to Olympus when they 283 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 2: had pacified the waves of war and crowned their city 284 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,400 Speaker 2: with the spoils taken from the enemy, not only over 285 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 2: the seas, but also on land. Did they kindle the 286 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 2: lovely torch of freedom and independence for the descendants of 287 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 2: Heracles belongs dominion over sea and land. Just to clarify this, 288 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 2: is this dedication text associated with the statue of Liberty 289 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 2: or is. 290 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,480 Speaker 1: This dedicated to the original colossal? 291 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 2: That's what I thought, got it? Yeah, yeah, so it's 292 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 2: one hundred percent. Get that one to one comparison there. 293 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: And the inspiration here may have come somewhat from the colossus, 294 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: but the original purpose of the Statue of Liberty the 295 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,679 Speaker 1: statue we all know and love, was not to be 296 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 1: put in the United States. In fact, the sculptor visited 297 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: BARTOLDI visited Egypt in eighteen fifty five, and he said, 298 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to work on big statues too. We're just 299 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 1: going to tell you the truth here, folks. He saw 300 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: the facade of the temple at Abu Simmel and he said, look, 301 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: Egyptian government, you guys should build this giant statue and 302 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: maybe like a beacon of light, and it should maybe 303 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: be like a woman holding a torture aloft, and you 304 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: could put it at the Suez Canal and you could 305 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 1: call it something like carrying the light to Asia. I 306 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: don't know if you guys are busy, but I like 307 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: building statues, so just sort of let me know. So 308 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: long story short, he did use our guy, BERTOLDI used 309 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: the colossus as a motivation or what our pal Turbo 310 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 1: Benson will call a reference. And the idea behind it, 311 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: to say the statue of Liberty is one to one 312 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,360 Speaker 1: based off the Colossus of Rhodes is a little bit 313 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: of a stretch. But I really like your note about 314 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: the crown of Stars. 315 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 2: Yes, that's definitely what grabbed me. But also just if 316 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 2: you've ever walked inside the Statue of Liberty or seen 317 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 2: any schematics of it, those internal struts are a big 318 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 2: part of the construction of it too, which I guess 319 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,479 Speaker 2: is really just a logistical thing in terms of like 320 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 2: design and engineering. But that did call it kind of 321 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 2: also ring a bell or tick a boxer, you know whatever. 322 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: Oh, I love it. I'm making the light bulb face. 323 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: I think you nailed it. Also, we could say that, 324 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: regardless of the motivations of the original sculptors, this has 325 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: become the Statue of Rhodes here in the United States. 326 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 2: And what would be an episode on one of the 327 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 2: Wonders of the Ancient World if we didn't discuss how 328 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 2: it figures into the Civilization games. 329 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: Right, And who better to explain this idea of the 330 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: wonder of the World and the Civilization game series than 331 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: our own pal, Max Williams. Max putting you on the 332 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: spot here. 333 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 2: Man, Okay, I gotcha. 334 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, the Colossus is actually one that's showed 335 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 3: up in all seven games now, all seven mainline games, 336 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 3: and it's the wonder that you can build. It usually 337 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 3: makes you money. It's never one that I'm rushing to 338 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 3: and when someone else builds it, I'm not that sad, 339 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 3: but it looks really cool. And generally you have to 340 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 3: build in a coastal city, so you can't build in 341 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 3: the middle of the tundra. 342 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: I like building for the cinematics. I just love the 343 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: cut scene where you see the thing get built and 344 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: you get the little the little quotation so good. 345 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 2: It's SIFT seven. 346 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 3: It's good, but it's just not as good as six. 347 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,119 Speaker 3: But that's I guess how you can describe SIP seven. 348 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,120 Speaker 3: Just in general, it's just not as good as six. 349 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: And sometimes that's how people describe the ancient versus modern 350 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,119 Speaker 1: wonders of the world. You look at humanity and you say, 351 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 1: three out of five, I like their early work. We 352 00:23:54,280 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 1: want to end with a symbolic point, right to the excellent, 353 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: to the excellent dedication you recited there nol for the 354 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: original Colossus of Rhodes. Here's what stands with us for 355 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: the modern colossus, the Statue of Liberty there in New 356 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: York Harbor. It is a poem that is only more 357 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: appropriate and important to realize now in twenty twenty five. 358 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 1: It goes like this, not like the brazen Giant of 359 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: Greek fame, with conquering limbs, astride from land to land. 360 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:34,719 Speaker 1: Here out our seawashed sunset gate shall stand a mighty 361 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, 362 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: and her name Mother of exiles. From her beacon hand 363 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:48,919 Speaker 1: glows worldwide. Welcome her mild eyes command the air bridged harbor. 364 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:53,439 Speaker 1: That's when cities frame keep ancient lands. Your storied pomp, 365 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 1: cries she with silent Lipsam, give me your tired, your poor, 366 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: Your huddled mass is yearning to breathe, free the wretched 367 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless tempest 368 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:14,120 Speaker 1: tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. 369 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 2: Moving, I swear to God. Dude, I don't think I've 370 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 2: ever heard the whole dedication. I just know the huddled 371 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 2: masses and the little bits that are cherry picked from it, 372 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 2: and like speeches and stuff. But that is powerful stuff. 373 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 2: I really really enjoyed that. And what an epic reading. 374 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 1: Thanks dude, Oh no, thanks to Emma Lazarus, the author 375 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: of the New Colossus. And so maybe to your earlier point, 376 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 1: this shows us. Sorry, I'm getting a little emotional. I'm 377 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: a sucker. 378 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 2: I was feeling it. Sorry, I didn't mean to step 379 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 2: on you, but when I was exclaiming during your reading, 380 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 2: I was overcome as well, because especially God not to 381 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 2: be political at all, but now more than ever, what 382 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 2: that represents. It's being challenged in many ways, and it 383 00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 2: really does hit home. 384 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: And so perhaps we have a wonder of the world 385 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 1: our own right. And that's why we will argue that 386 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 1: the old Colossus of Rhodes, which totally did exist, is 387 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 1: echoed in the Statue of Liberty, right at least in 388 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: the dedication. The idea in one of the most important 389 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 1: cities of ancient Greece reflected in one of the most 390 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: important cities in modern America. And I think Noel and 391 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,959 Speaker 1: Max and I all got a little perclept, as they 392 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: would say, we're talking about how awesome this idea is. 393 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 1: We have a continuing series on Wonders of the ancient world, 394 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: and we hope you enjoyed this one. 395 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 2: Folks. 396 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: We want to thank every scholar who has been looking 397 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 1: into this and doing the real world on the ground research. 398 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: Of course, we also must thank our our super producer 399 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: and research associate, mister Max Williams. 400 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 2: Max Williams, who found one of those incredible researchers, Mark Cartwright, 401 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 2: who is our continuing history research protagonist, as Max put 402 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 2: it in this story writing for World History Encyclopedia. So 403 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 2: thanks Mark, and thanks. 404 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: Max, and also thanks to Alexander Williams who composed this 405 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:25,640 Speaker 1: slap and bop you're hearing at the end. 406 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 2: The Colossus of music and other things real, what do 407 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 2: you call it? A multi hyphenate, Paul Polymath. Sure, that's Alex, 408 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 2: That's our Alex. 409 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, the opposite of a Thanks to Jonathan Strickland, whom 410 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: I blame directly for the fact that you cannot see 411 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: the Colossus of Rhodes today. 412 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 2: He knows what he did. 413 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: He knows, he knows big. Thanks to aj Bahamas, Jacobs Big, 414 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 1: Thanks to doctor Rachel Big, Spinach, Lance. 415 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 4: Big Fence, Oh jeez, Christophers, Yeah, Steeves, Jeff go here 416 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 4: in spirit Thanks, I'm going from a car here in spirits, 417 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 4: and Ben, thanks to you, Buckeroo. I'm stealing it from 418 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 4: you just for this moment, because it's just fun to say. 419 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. 420 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: Also, I guess I should say I'm I'm not a 421 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 1: history cop. 422 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 2: I know whether you turn referring to the mustachs. Yeah yeah, Okay, 423 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 2: well I think you look great. We'll see you next time. Books. 424 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:34,160 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 425 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.