The Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek Titan Helios which was erected on the Greek island of Rhodes between 292 and 280 BC. It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built to celebrate the victory over the ruler of Cyprus whose son unsuccessfully besieged the city in 305 BC. The Colossus stood tall at the entrance of Rhodes until it was toppled by the Rhodes Earthquake of 226 BC. The toppled statue lay in place for over 8 centuries before being sold off by invaders. Prior to its demise, the statue stood over 30 meters tall making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world.