Editing Colossus of Rhodes (section)

==Siege of Rhodes==
{{Main|Siege of Rhodes (305–304&nbsp;BC)}}
In the late fourth century BC, Rhodes, allied with [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy I of Egypt]], prevented a mass invasion staged by their common enemy, [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus]].

In 304&nbsp;BC, a relief force of ships sent by Ptolemy arrived, and [[Demetrius I of Macedon|Demetrius]] (son of Antigonus) and his army abandoned the siege, leaving behind most of their siege equipment. To celebrate their victory, the Rhodians sold the equipment left behind for 300 [[Attic talent|talents]]<ref name=Pliny-xxxiv-18>{{cite book |author=[[Pliny the Elder]] |title=[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]] |at=xxxiv.18}}</ref> and decided to use the money to build a colossal statue of their patron god, [[Helios]]. Construction was left to the direction of [[Chares of Lindos|Chares]], a native of Lindos in Rhodes, who had been involved with large-scale statues before. His teacher, the sculptor [[Lysippos]], had constructed a {{convert|22|m|ft|abbr=off|adj=mid|-high}}{{efn|Forty cubits high, according to [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]].<ref name=Pliny-xxxiv-18/>}} bronze statue of [[Zeus]] at [[Taranto|Tarentum]].