NEWS: Greek Island To Rebuild One Of The Wonders Of The World: The Colossus of Rhodes

The Greek island of Rhodes has plans to rebuild one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes. Initially built in the third century BC, the Colossus was destroyed by an earthquake. The new statue of the Greek sun god Helios will stand 108 feet (33 M) tall.



Ah nothing like reliving ones glories especially if they will generate a few bucks in the process. The city estimates that such a colossus would generate $47 million a year in tourist revenue. The statute which is to be made of bronze and it sculptor intended it to straddle the harbor entrance as the original did, but squabbling may have killed that plan. I'm sure Disney would love to come and turn it into a theme park of sorts.

I'm excited and cautious about these sorts of things. Like rebuilding the coloseum and the like. Its expensive, and gimicky, and of course the thing can never really be re-stored so much as simply 'recreated'. Heck, no one really even knows what the Colossus is supposed to look like. And all of the funds, well, there's just so much out there in terms of archaeology in those regions and even specific to those times, that hasn't even been touched. So the money could certainly be put to better use, especially since they are going to use archaeologists to, at a minimum, give the thing some sort of 'legitimacy'. It'd be great if they bargained so that, say, a percentage of its benefits each year was spent on research, but thats pretty doubtful.

I once overheard, for example, one paleontologist remark that with teh amount of money made from the first Jurassic Park, that they could've made a museum quality replica of practically every paleontological display specimin in the world. Now, presumably, thats a bit of an hypberbole, but still, I should think that the point remains.

I was in Rhodes 15 years ago and they were talking about it then. It just aint the same thing.

It's like Saddam replanting the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Big deal.

Wanna see a photocopy of the Declaration of Independance?

How about Stonehenge in my backyard?

If you want cheesy reproductions, go to Vegas. At least you get good plumbing and all you can eat buffets too.