In sculpture, a colossus is a statue of enormous magnitude. The Asiatics, the Egyptians, and in particular the Greeks, have excelled in these works. The most celebrated Egyptian colossus was the vocal statue of Memnon in the plain of Thebes, supposed to be identical with the most northerly of two existing colossi (60 feet high) on the west bank of the Nile.
Among the colossi of Greece the most celebrated was the Colossus of Rhodes, a brass statue of Apollo 70 cubits high, esteemed one of the wonders of the world, erected at the port of Rhodes by Chares, 290 or 288 BC. It was knocked down by an earthquake about 224 BC. The statue was in ruins for nearly nine centuries, when the Saracens, taking Rhodes, sold the metal, weighing 720,900 lbs, to a Jew, about 653. There is no authority for the popularly-received statement that it bestrode the harbour mouth, and that the Rhodian vessels could pass under its legs.
Among the colossi of Phidias were the Olympian Zeus and the Athena of the Parthenon; the former 60 feet high and the latter 40 feet.
The most famous of the Roman colossi were the Jupiter of the Capitol, the Apollo of the Palatine Library, and the statue of Nero, 110 or 120 feet high, and from which the contiguous amphitheatre derived its name of Colosseum.
Among modern works of this nature is the colossus of San Carlo Borromeo, at Arona, in the Milanese territory, 60 feet in height; the 'Bavaria' at Munich, 65 feet high; the statue of Hermann or Arminius near Detmold, erected in 1875, 90 feet in height to the point of the upraised sword, which itself is 24 feet in length; the height of the figure to the point of the helmet being 55 feet;
the statue of Germania, erected in 1883 near Rudesheim, a figure 34 feet high, placed on an elaborately-sculptured pedestal over 81 feet high; and Bartholdi's statue of Liberty presented to the United States by the French nation, and which measures 104 feet or to the extremity of the torch in the hand of the figure 138 feet. It is erected at New York harbour on a pedestal 114 feet, is constructed for a lighthouse with what was at one time was one of the most powerful fixed lights in the world, and stands 317 feet above mean tide. Research Colossus
Boadicea was Queen of the Iceni, in Britain during the reign of Nero. Following the death of her husband, the Romans broke their peace treaty with the Iceni, stolelands left to Boadicea, raped her two young daughters, and publicly flogged her to humiliate her. Boadicea, understandably outraged, rallied the Celtic tribes of Britain together and headed a general insurrection of the Britons, first attacking and destroying Colchester, and then burned London to the ground. She and her army was defeated by Suetonius and his troops, sent from Rome to put down the insurrection, in 62, and rather than be captured committed suicide with poison. Research Boadicea
Britannicus was a son of the Roman Emperor Claudius by Messalina. He was born in 42 and died in 56 when he was poisoned by his brother Nero, who was the then Emperor. Research Britannicus
Ceasar Germanicus was a distinguished Roman. The son of NeroClaudiusDrusus and the younger Antonia, a niece of Augustus, he was born in 15 BC and died in 19 AD. He was adopted by Tiberius, his paternal uncle, and married Agrippina, the granddaughter of Augustus. When Augustus died, in 14 AD, Germanicus was invited by the rebellious legions on the Rhine to assume the sovereignty, but refused, and quelled the revolt. He then crossed the Rhine, surprised and defeated the Marsi with great slaughter. Next year a campaign against the Catti and the Germans, led by Arminius, resulted in a series of victories. The following year he again made his way into Germany, defeated the Cherusci twice, and made an incursion into the country of the Marsi. Tiberius now became jealous of the glory of Germanicus, called him home under pretence of granting him a triumph, then, to get rid of him, sent him into the East to compose the disturbances in Armenia and Cappadocia. This he performed in 18 AD, visited Egypt the following year, and died on his return to Syria under some suspicion of having been poisoned by Cn. Piso, the governor of Syria. Research Caesar Germanicus
Claudius I (Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus) was a Roman emperor. He was born in 10 BC at Lyons and died in 54. The son of ClaudiusDrususNero, stepson of Augustus and Antonia, the daughter of Augustus's sister he lived in privacy, occupying himself with literature, the composition of a Roman history, and other works, until the murder of Caligula, when he was dragged from, his hiding - place and proclaimed emperor in 41 AD. The early years of his reign were marked by the restoration of the exiles, the embellishment of Rome, the addition of Mauritania to the Roman provinces, and successes in Germany and Britain. But latterly he became debauched, left the government to his wives, and in particular to Messalina, who with his freedmen committed the greatest enormities. He was poisoned by his fourth wife, Agrippina so that her son, Nero could be emperor. Research Claudius I
Drusus was the name of several distinguished Romans, among whom were:
Marcus Livius, an orator and politician. He became tribune of the people in 122 BC. He opposed the policy of Caius Gracchus, and became popular by planting colonies.
Marcus Livius, son of Marcus Livius, who was early a strong champion of the senate or aristocratic party, but showed great skill in manipulating the mob. He rose to be tribune of the people, and was assassinated in 91 BC.
Nero Claudius brother of the Emperor Tiberius. He was born in 38 BC and died in 9 BC. By a series of brilliant campaigns he extended the Roman empire to the German Ocean and the river Elbe, and was hence called Germanicus. By his wife Antonia, daughter of Mark Antony, he had a daughter, Livia, and two sons, Germanicus and Claudius, the latter of whom afterwards became emperor. Research Drusus
George Friderick Handel (properly Haendel) was a German composer. He was born in 1685 at Halle and died in 1759.
The strong passion which he showed early in life for the art of music overcame his father's opposition to training him as a musician, and at the age of seven he was placed under the tuition of Zachau, organist of HalleCathedral, and was soon so far advanced in the practical part of the science as to be able to officiate occasionally as deputy to his instructor.
In 1696 he was sent to Berlin, where he heard the music of Bononcini and Ariosti, then at the head of the BerlinOpera House. He returned to Halle, was appointed organist of the cathedral in 1702, but soon left to visit Hanover and Hamburg, where Steffani and Reinhard Keiser, the latter the greatest German operatic composer of his day, resided. At Hamburg he played second violin in the orchestra, and in 1794 brought out his first work, an oratorio on the Passion, and his first opera, Almira, followed in February by his Nero, and subsequently by his Florinda and Daphne.
He visited England twice, and ultimately, having received a pension from Queen Anne, settled down there. For some years his popularity was very great. He
was placed at the head of the newly-founded Royal Academy of Music, and accumulated a large fortune in spite of the heavy losses which he incurred by setting up an opera company in 1735 in opposition to that supported by the leading nobility and the principal Italian singers.
Amongst the operas which he had composed up to this date are: Radamisto, Ottone, Giulio Cesare, Flavio, Tamerlano, Scipio, Ricardo I, Orlando, Ariadne, etc. His last opera was performed in 1740. By this time he had begun to devote himself chiefly to music of a serious nature, especially the oratorio. The approval which his first works of this kind (Esther, 1731; Deborah, 1732; Athalia, 1733) had met with encouraged him to new efforts; and he produced in succession Israel in Egypt, L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, Saul, and The Messiah. The last-mentioned, which is his chief work, was brought out in 1741, for the benefit of the Foundling Hospital. It was not much appreciated at the first representation, but increased in reputation every year.
In 1742 the Samson appeared, in 1746 the Judas Maccabseus, in 1748 the Solomon, and in 1752 the Jephthah. In 1752 he became blind, but did not lose his spirits, continuing to perform in public and even to compose.
After his death he was buried in Westminster Abbey. Handel was of large and ungainly person. His manners were rough and his temper violent, but his disposition was humane and liberal. As a musician his characteristics are boldness and strength of style and combination of vigour, spirit, and invention in his instrumental compositions. Research George Frederick Handel
Hasdrubal (more correctly Asdrubal, 'Baal is his help'), was the name of several Carthaginian leaders, particularly the brother of Hannibal, the hero of the Second Punic War. On the departure of Hannibal for Italy, in 218 BC, he was left in command of the army in Spain, in which capacity he carried on a long series of military operations against the Roman troops, which were commanded by Cnaeus and Publius Scipio. His brother Hannibal requiring his assistance in Italy, Hasdrubal led an army from Spain into that country in 207 BC, but before he could join forces with his brother he was defeated on the right bank of the Metaurus by Nero and Livius. Nero is said to have thrown Hasdrubal's head into Hannibal's camp, by way of announcing the defeat and death of his brother. Research Hasdrubal
Nero (ClaudiusCaesar) was a Roman Emperor. He was born in 37 and died in 68. He was a cruel and unpopular Emperor and committed suicide after a successful revolt against him. Research Nero
Servius Sulpicius Galba was a Roman emperor. He was born in 3 BC and died in 69 AD. He was the successor of. He was made praetor in 20 AD, and afterwards governor of Aquitania, and in 33 AD was raised to the consulship through the influence of Livia Drusilla, the wife of Augustus. Caligula appointed him general in Germany, and Claudius sent him in 45 AD as proconsul to Africa, his services there obtaining him the honours of a triumph. He then lived in retirement until the middle of Nero's reign, when the emperor appointed him governor of Hispania Tarraconeusis, but soon after ordered him to be secretly assassinated. Galba revolted; the death of Nero followed and he himself was chosen emperor by the praetorian cohorts in Rome. He went directly to Rome, but soon made himself unpopular by cruelty and avarice, and he was assassinated in the forum in 69 AD at the age of seventy-two. Research Servius Galba
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Colossus
