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
Alexander Henry Rhind was a Scottish antiquary. He was born in 1833 at Wick and died in 1863. Originally intended for the bar, his poor health forced him to seek warmer climates, and in France, Italy and Egypt he continued his antiquarian investigations. He published an important treatise on Thebes, in 1862 and founded the Rhind lectures on archaeology. Research Alexander Rhind
Alexander The Great was king of Macedon (Macedonia). He was born in 356 BC at Pella and died in 323 BC.
Following the assassination of his father, Philip, in 336 BC Alexander ascended the throne determined to carry out the expedition that his father had been preparing against the Persians. Before he could, however, he had to chastise the barbarian tribes on the frontiers of Macedon, as well as quell a rising in Greece in which he took and destroyed Thebes, killing 6000 of the inhabitants and imprisoning 30,000. Leaving Antipater confirmed as commander-inc-chief of the Greek forces in the general assembly of the Greeks, he crossed over the Hellespont into Asia in 334 BC with 30,000 foot and 5000 horse soldiers.
His first encounter with the Persian forces (assisted by Greek mercenaries) was at the small river Granicus, where he gained a complete victory. Most of the cities of Asia Minor surrendered to him, and Alexander restored democracy in all the Greek cities. Marching onwards he conquered Lycia, Ionia, Caria, Pamphylia and Cappadocia. In 333 BC he defeated the Persian emperor Darius and his army of 500,000 men near Issus. Heading south, Alexander conquered the Mediterranean cities, including Tyre following a seven month siege, and then Palestine and Egypt, founding the city Alexandria as he did so.
Returning, Alexander was met by Darius and a new immense army which Alexander defeated at Gaugamela in 331 BC, taking Babylon and Susa and afterwards the Persian capital Persepolis. He later decided to unite the nations of Macedon and Persia, married the eldest daughter of Darius and rewarded those of his men who married Persian women. Following his sudden death in 323 BC his empire was divided among his chief generals, and became the scene of continual wars. Research Alexander The Great
Amenophis III (Amenhotep III) was a king of ancient Egypt about 1500 BC. He warred successfully against the Syrians and Ethiopians, built magnificent temples and palaces at Thebes, where the so-called Memnon statue is a statue of this king. Research Amenophis III
Antimachus was a Greek poet who lived about 400 B.C., and wrote an epic called the Thebais on the mythical history of Thebes, and a long elegy called Lyde, inspired by a mistress or wife of that name. Both works were full of mythological details. Only fragments of his writings remain, and from these it can be gathered that his style was rather laboured and artificial than inspired by true poetic feeling. Yet the Alexandrian grammarians ranked him next to Homer. Research Antimachus
Epaminondas was an ancient Greek hero, who, for a short time, raised his country, Thebea, to the summit of power and prosperity. He was born about 418 BC and killed at the battle of Mantineia, in 362 BC. He took the leading part in the struggle during which Spartan supremacy in Greece was destroyed, and the supremacy of Thebes temporarily secured. Four times he successfully invaded the Peloponnesus at the head of the Thebans, but after his deathThebes soon sank to her former secondary condition. Throughout life he was distinguished for the friendship subsisting between him and Pelopidas, with whom he served in the Spartancampaign 385 BC. His character is one of the finest recorded in Greek history, and his virtues have been praised by both Xenophon and Plutarch. Research Epaminondas
Givovanni Battista Belzoni was an Italian traveller. He was in 1778 at Padua in 1778 and died near Benin in 1823. In 1803 he emigrated to England, where, being endowed with an almost gigantic figure and commensurate strength, he for a time gained his living as an athlete. In 1815 he visited Egypt, where he made a hydraulic machine for Mehemet Ali. He then devoted himself to the exploration of the antiquities of the country, being supplied with funds by Mr. Salt, the British consul-general. He succeeded in transporting the bust of Memnon (Rameses II) from Thebes to Alexandria, from whence it came to the British Museum; explored the great temple of Rameses II at Abu-Simbel; opened the tomb of Seti I, from which he obtained the splendid alabastersarcophagus bought by Sir John Soane for 2000 pounds; and he also succeeded in opening the second (King Chephren's) of the pyramids of Ghizeh. He afterwards visited the coasts of the Red Sea, the city of Berenice, Lake Moeris, the Lesser Oasis, etc. The narrative of his discoveries and excavations in Egypt and Nubia was received with general approbation. He died during a projected journey to Timbuctoo. Research Giovanni Belzoni
Madame de Thebes was a French palmist and prophet. She was born in 1845 and died in 1916. She carried on a business as a palmist at her salon in the Avenue de Wagram in Paris, and each year at Christmas published prophecies which enjoyed a wide circulation. She was said to have predicted the Boer War and the Russo-Japanese War. Research Madame de Thebes
In Greek mythology, Amphion was a son of Zeus and Antiope. He was the husband of Niobe. Amphion had great skill in music which he was taught by Hermes. He helped build the walls of Thebes, the stones moving themselves into position at the sound of his lyre. Research Amphion
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Colossus
