Chares of Lindos
Encyclopedia
Chares of Lindos
(fl. in 280 BC
, in Greek Χάρης [-ητος] ο Λίνδιος) was a Greek
sculptor born on the island of Rhodes
. He was a pupil of Lysippus.
Chares constructed the Colossus of Rhodes
in 282 BC
, an enormous bronze statue of the sun god Helios
and also the patron god of Rhodes. The statue was built to commemorate Rhodes' victory over the invading Macedonians
in 305 BC
, led by Demetrius I
, son of Antigonus
, a general under Alexander the Great.
Also attributed to Chares was a colossal head which was brought to Rome
and dedicated by P. Lentulus Spinther
on the Capitoline Hill
, in 57 BC
(Pliny
, Natural History XXXIV.18)).
The Colossus of Rhodes is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
, and was considered Chares's greatest accomplishment, until its destruction in an earthquake in 226 BC
.
It is believed that Chares did not live to see his project finished. There are several legends stating that he committed suicide. In one tale he has almost finished the statue when someone points out a small flaw in the construction. The sculptor is so ashamed of it he kills himself.
In another version, the Rhodians asked Chares how much he would charge for a statue fifty feet high, and when he answered, asked him how much for a statue twice as big; he answered twice as much - and they awarded the contract; he had overlooked that doubling the height will mean an eightfold increase in the amount of materials needed. This drives him into bankruptcy and suicide. The work may have been completed by Laches
, also an inhabitant of Lindos.
's novel The Bronze God of Rhodes
is written as Chares' memoirs of the Siege of Rhodes and the building of the Colossus of Rhodes.
Lindos
Lindos is an archaeological site, a town and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies on the east coast of the island...
(fl. in 280 BC
280 BC
Year 280 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laevinus and Coruncanius...
, in Greek Χάρης [-ητος] ο Λίνδιος) was a Greek
Hellenistic Greece
In the context of Ancient Greek art, architecture, and culture, Hellenistic Greece corresponds to the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the annexation of the classical Greek heartlands by Rome in 146 BC...
sculptor born on the island of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. He was a pupil of Lysippus.
Chares constructed the Colossus of Rhodes
Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek Titan Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes on the Greek island of Rhodes by Chares of Lindos between 292 and 280 BC. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of...
in 282 BC
282 BC
Year 282 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Luscinus and Papus...
, an enormous bronze statue of the sun god Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
and also the patron god of Rhodes. The statue was built to commemorate Rhodes' victory over the invading Macedonians
Siege of Rhodes
The Siege of Rhodes was one of the most notable sieges of Antiquity, when Demetrius Poliorcetes, son of Antigonus I, besieged Rhodes in an attempt to break its alliance with Ptolemaic Egypt.- Background :...
in 305 BC
305 BC
Year 305 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Megellus and Augurinus...
, led by Demetrius I
Demetrius I of Macedon
Demetrius I , called Poliorcetes , son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Stratonice, was a king of Macedon...
, son of Antigonus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus , son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian nobleman, general, and satrap under Alexander the Great. During his early life he served under Philip II, and he was a major figure in the Wars of the Diadochi after Alexander's death, declaring himself king in 306 BC and...
, a general under Alexander the Great.
Also attributed to Chares was a colossal head which was brought to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and dedicated by P. Lentulus Spinther
Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther
Publius Cornelius Lentulus, nicknamed Spinther because of his likeness to a popular actor of that name, came from an ancient Roman patrician family of the Cornelia gens. Although treated with great favour by Julius Caesar, Spinther eventually came to support the aristocratic senatorial cause of...
on the Capitoline Hill
Capitoline Hill
The Capitoline Hill , between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the seven hills of Rome. It was the citadel of the earliest Romans. By the 16th century, Capitolinus had become Capitolino in Italian, with the alternative Campidoglio stemming from Capitolium. The English word capitol...
, in 57 BC
57 BC
Year 57 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Metellus...
(Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
, Natural History XXXIV.18)).
The Colossus of Rhodes is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the World refers to remarkable constructions of classical antiquity listed by various authors in guidebooks popular among the ancient Hellenic tourists, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC...
, and was considered Chares's greatest accomplishment, until its destruction in an earthquake in 226 BC
226 BC Rhodes earthquake
The Rhodes earthquake of 226 BC, which affected the island of Rhodes, Greece, is famous for having toppled the large statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes. Following the earthquake, the statue lay in place for nearly 8 centuries before being sold off by invaders...
.
It is believed that Chares did not live to see his project finished. There are several legends stating that he committed suicide. In one tale he has almost finished the statue when someone points out a small flaw in the construction. The sculptor is so ashamed of it he kills himself.
In another version, the Rhodians asked Chares how much he would charge for a statue fifty feet high, and when he answered, asked him how much for a statue twice as big; he answered twice as much - and they awarded the contract; he had overlooked that doubling the height will mean an eightfold increase in the amount of materials needed. This drives him into bankruptcy and suicide. The work may have been completed by Laches
Laches
* Laches : an equitable principle in Anglo-American law* Laches : an Athenian aristocrat * Laches : a Socratic dialogue of Plato-See also:* Lache...
, also an inhabitant of Lindos.
In popular culture
L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
's novel The Bronze God of Rhodes
The Bronze God of Rhodes
The Bronze God of Rhodes is an historical novel by L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1960, and in paperback by Bantam Books in 1963...
is written as Chares' memoirs of the Siege of Rhodes and the building of the Colossus of Rhodes.