Guardian of the Harbor

Helios, the Colossus of Rhodes. When Demetrios (successor to Alexander the Great) was defeated after his constant attacks to the city, he abandoned all his siege machinery on Rhodes. The Rhodians decided to express their pride by building a triumphal statue of their favourite god, Helios. It is thought that they used the weapons left behind to build the statue. After standing for 56 years it was torn down by an earthquake but was impressive enough to be remembered long after its remains were taken away after 800 years.

What must this have looked like? It has been decided that it could in no way have straddled the harbor entrance as once believed. But how detailed would it have been? Detailed like the Statue of Liberty? (another thing that amazes me). And why on earth did they attempt it? Well, I would say to see if they could "let's do something beyond anything anyone has ever done" It's this kind of thinking that inspires us, that thing down deep that says "can we?" It gave us Mt. Rushmore, the pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the airplane, it got us to the moon. It gave us electricity (where was the necessity at the time for that?) To try to do better and bigger things, go farther, faster, higher. Is it worth the risk? HELL yes it is. the cost? absolutely! How will we ever know what we're capable of if we don't try. As a civilized and cultured people we need to do these things.

Or we can't sleep at night.