Chares of Lindos (/ˈkɛəriːz/; Greek: Χάρης ὁ Λίνδιος, gen.: Χάρητος; before 305 BC – c.280 BC) was a Greek sculptor born on the island of Rhodes. He was a pupil of Lysippos.[1] Chares constructed the Colossus of Rhodes in 282 BC, an enormous bronze statue of the sun god Helios and the patron god of Rhodes.[2] 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).[3]
Chares of Lindos | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Colossus of Rhodes, built by Chares of Lindos | |
| Born | before 305 BC |
| Died | c. 280 BC Rhodes, Greece |
| Occupation | sculptor |
| Years active | ?-c.280 BC |
| Notable work | Colossus of Rhodes |
The Colossus of Rhodes is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World,[4] and was considered Chares's greatest accomplishment, until its destruction in an earthquake in 226 BC.[5]
[6] The work may have been completed by Laches, also an inhabitant of Lindos.[7][8]
In popular culture edit
- L. Sprague de Camp'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.
- Asteroid 236746 Chareslindos, discovered by Vincenzo Casulli in 2007, was named after the ancient Greek sculptor.[9] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 4 November 2017 (M.P.C. 107121).[10]
- Chares, called by the Italian version of his name (Carete), appears in the 1961 film The Colossus of Rhodes, portrayed by Félix Fernández.
References edit
- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (10 August 2006). "Arts, Briefly". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
- ^ "Information about the Colossus of Rhodes". rhodos-travel.com. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
- ^ "The Ancient Library". ancientlibrary.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
- ^ "The Colossus of Rhodes". unmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
- ^ "Colossus of Rhodes". corrosion-doctors.org. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
- ^ Sextus Empiricus, Against the Logicians 1.107-8; a much later work by a philosopher, not a historian.
- ^ "A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology (ed. William Smith)". perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
- ^ Elmes, James (1824). "A general and bibliographical dictionary of the fine arts". books.google.se. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
- ^ "236746 Chareslindos (2007 LP)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
External links edit
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 859.