Rhodes

Francisco Santamaria
 Where is it
located?
• Rhodes, Modern Greek Ródos, also
spelled Ródhos, major city of the
island of Rhodes,in the
South Aegean region, southeastern
Greece. The largest urban centre on
the island, Rhodes sits on its
northeasternmost tip. In Classical
history, Rhodes was a maritime power
and the site of the Colossus of Rhodes.
When Was it
founded?
• The city-state of Rhodes was
formed in 408 BC on a Greek
island when three smaller cities
(Ialyssos, Kamiros, and Lindos)
decided to unite and make one
large city. The city was
prosperous for hundreds of
years due to its prime location as
a trade port. The city was
famous for its shipbuilders as
well as its giant statue called the
Colossus of Rhodes.
The History of Rhodes
The island was first inhabited in the Neolithic period, and the first remains of
early civilization are found at the prehistoric site of Trianda on the north-west coast. The
settlement was an important Bronze Age center from the 16th century BCE, a period when the
island was in close contact with the Minoan civilization based on Crete. The evidence
for trade and cultural linking with the Minoans includes finds of Cretan measuring
weights, Linear A script, pottery, fresco design, and architecture. Which later would be
colonized be the Myceneans.
Following extensive floods and the end of the Mycenaean period in the mid-11th century BCE,
further Greek colonization took place with the establishment of the tyrant-led city-states of
Lindus , Ialysus , and Camirus. These city states themselves created colonies.
The island came under Persian rule in 490 BCE but in the later, Rhodes became a member of
the Delian League, led (and later to be dominated by) Athens. However, the island revolted
against Athens in 412 BCE and sided with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, an action which
was continued by the city-states forming together to create one city-state, probably for greater
commercial opportunities. The capital of the new state was Rhodes in a northern part of the
island.
Loyalty to Sparta ended in 395 BCE when democracy was established on the island. Briefly a
member of the Second Athenian Confederacy in 378 BCE, the island became subject to the
Carian satrap Mausolus who stationed an armed force on the island in 357 BCE. The next
foreign power to impose itself was Alexander the Great, who established a Macedonian
regiment on the island; however, under his successors, Rhodes enjoyed another period of
prosperity due to its five harbors and position near the newly established cities of the eastern
Mediterranean.
The History of Rhodes
The people in Rhode built a massive 33-meter-high bronze statue of their
patron god Helios - the Colossus of Rhodes and one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World. The statue, sculpted by Chares, a native of
the island from Lindus, stood at the harbor entrance but was
unfortunately toppled by an earthquake in 228 or 226 BCE.
The island remained independent and cultivated trade links with
the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt. In addition, the naval fleet of Rhodes took
on the important role of policing the Aegean against piracy.
Rhodes became an ally of Rome in the wars against Phillip V and
Antiochus III and received as thanks territory in Caria and Lycia. However,
not all Rhodians supported friendly relations with Rome and the alliance
was not always a peaceful one. Things took a turn for the worse when
Rhodes' dominant trade position was compromised by
the Roman decision to make Delos, in the Cyclades, a free port in 167 BCE.
Besieged by Mithridates VI in 88 BCE and let go by Cassius Longinus in 43
BCE, the role of Rhodes as a major political force came to an end.
Important
Archaeological
Sites
• Perhaps the most important archaeological site
on the island is at Lindus, the capital before it
was moved to Rhodes c. 408 BCE. A temple to
Athena Lindia was built on the acropolis of the
town, according to tradition, by Danaos in 1510
BCE. This was replaced with a new Doric temple
in the 6th century BCE in the reign of the tyrant
Cleoboulos. After this temple was destroyed by
fire, another temple was rebuilt in 342 BCE. A
large propylon or gate and a monumental
stairway were added to the sacred site c. 300
BCE. In the 2nd century BCE, a Hellenistic stoa
was constructed. Also of interest are the
remains of the theatre which originally had 26
rows of seats and a capacity for some 18,000
spectators, a temple to Dionysos, and rock-cut
tombs. All of these monuments are testimony to
the wealth and prestige once enjoyed by the
island from its role as a trade hub in the eastern
Mediterranean.
The Lindos Acropolis
After exploring the ancient walls of Old Town it might be hard to believe there’s somewhere with
an even deeper history on Rhodes. Well, that’s exactly what you’ll find in Lindos! Lindos was
actually the first capital of Rhodes and was founded by the Dorians way back in 10th Century B.C.

Fast forward a couple of hundred years later and Lindos was a well -established trading port
linking Europe with the Middle East. In the 5th Century, Rhodes town became the center of
commerce on the island and the importance of Lindos would lessen as time went on.

Some of the main features of the acropolis are:

The Propylaia: This gateway on the staircase was built in 3rd Century B.C. This is an interesting
part of the ruins leading up to the top of the Acropolis of Lindos.

Hellenistic Stoa: Look for the two roofed wings on both sides of the staircase of the Propylaia.
Beneath this, there were several cisterns, and rainwater was once collected from the roofs of
the Propylaia and Stoa.

Portico of Psithyros: The colonnade was added during the Roman period. Ancient inscriptions
here revealed worship to Psithyros who was seen as the mediator between gods and mortals.

Temple of Athena Lindia: The main feature of Acropolis at Lindos and built on its highest point in
4th Century B.C. This temple is dedicated to the Greek goddess, and it’s believed it was the
site of earlier cult worship in the cave below.
The Lindos Acropolis
 • After being such an important part in the history of Greece Rhodes is now
a tourist destination and many people can now enjoy its beaches and its

Rhodes Now famous ruins. Rhodes tourism, fishing and government services are now
the most employed departments (as there is so much tourism on the
island). The city still has a lot of beauty, even though the structures aren't
completely intact.
Pictures