The Colossus at Rhodes

The Colossus at Rhodes Located on the island of Rhodes (off the coast of modern Turkey), the Colossus at Rhodes was a giant statue, about 110 feet tall, of the Greek sun-god Helios. Although finished in 282 BCE, this Wonder of the Ancient World only stood for 56 years, when it was toppled by an earthquake. Huge chunks of the former statue stayed on the beaches of Rhodes for 900 years, drawing people around the world to marvel at how man could create something so enormous. Why Was the Colossus of Rhodes Built? The city of Rhodes, located on the island of Rhodes, had been under siege for a year. Caught up in the heated and bloody battle between the three successors of Alexander the Great (Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigonus), Rhodes was attacked by Antigonus’ son, Demetrius, for supporting Ptolemy. Demetrius tried everything to get inside the high-walled city of Rhodes. He brought 40,000 troops (more than the entire population of Rhodes), catapults, and pirates. He also brought a special corps of engineers that could make siege weapons specially geared to break into this particular city. The most spectacular thing these engineers built was a 150-foot tower, mounted on iron wheels, that hosted a powerful catapult. To protect its gunners, leather shutters were installed. To protect it from fireballs hurled from the city, each of its nine stories had its own water tank. It took 3,400 of Demetrius’ soldiers to push this mighty weapon into place. The citizens of Rhodes, however, flooded the area around their city, causing the mighty tower to wallow in mud. The people of Rhodes had fought back valiantly. When reinforcements came from Ptolemy in Egypt, Demetrius left the area in a hurry. In such a hurry, that Demetrius left nearly all of this weapons behind. To celebrate their victory, the people of Rhodes decided to build a giant statue in honor of their patron god, Helios. How Did They Build Such a Colossal Statue? Funding is usually a problem for such a large project as the people of Rhodes had in mind; however, that was easily solved by using the weapons that Demetrius had left behind. The people of Rhodes melted down many of the leftover weapons to get bronze, sold other siege weapons for money, and then used the super siege weapon as the scaffolding for the project. Rhodian sculptor Chares of Lindos, the pupil of Alexander the Great’s sculptor Lysippus, was chosen to create this huge statue. Unfortunately, Chares of Lindos died before the sculpture could be completed. Some say he committed suicide, but that is probably a fable. Exactly how Chares of Lindos constructed such a gigantic statue is still up for debate. Some have said that he built a huge, earthen ramp that got bigger as the statue got taller. Modern architects, however, have dismissed this idea as unpractical. We do know that it took 12 years to build the Colossus of Rhodes, likely from 294 to 282 BCE, and cost 300 talents (at least $5 million in modern money). We also know that the statue had an exterior that consisted of an iron framework covered with bronze plates. Inside were two or three columns of stone that were the main supports for the structure. Iron rods connected the stone columns with the exterior iron framework. What Did the Colossus of Rhodes Look Like? The statue was to stand about 110 feet high, on top of a 50-foot stone pedestal (the modern Statue of Liberty is 111 feet high from heel to head). Exactly where the Colossus of Rhodes was built is still not certain, although many believe it was near the Mandraki Harbor. No one knows exactly what the statue looked like. We know that it was a man and that one of his arms was held aloft. He was likely naked, perhaps holding or wearing a cloth, and wearing a crown of rays (as Helios is often portrayed). Some have guessed that Helios’ arm was holding a torch. For four centuries, people have believed that the Colossus of Rhodes was posed with his legs spread apart, one on each side of the harbor. This image stems from a 16th century engraving by Maerten van Heemskerck, which depicts the Colossus in this pose, with ships passing under him. For many reasons, this is very likely not how the Colossus was posed. For one, legs open wide is not a very dignified stance for a god. And another is that to create that pose, the very important harbor would have had to have been closed for years. Thus, it is much more likely that the Colossus was posed with legs together. The Collapse For 56 years, the Colossus of Rhodes was a wonder to see. But then, in 226 BCE, an earthquake struck Rhodes and toppled the statue. It is said that the Egyptian King Ptolemy III offered to pay for the Colossus to be rebuilt. However, the people of Rhodes, after consulting an oracle, decided to not rebuild. They believed that somehow the statue had offended the real Helios. For 900 years, huge pieces of the broken statue lay along the beaches of Rhodes. Interestingly, even these broken pieces were huge and worth seeing. People traveled far and wide to see the ruins of the Colossus. As one ancient writer, Pliny, described after seeing it in the 1st century CE, Even as it lies, it excites our wonder and admiration. Few people can clasp the thumb in their arms, and its fingers are larger than most statues. Where the limbs are broken asunder, vast caverns are seen yawning in the interior. Within it, too, are to be seen large masses of rock, by the weight of which the artist steadied it while erecting it.* In 654 CE, Rhodes was conquered, this time by Arabs. As spoils of war, the Arabs cut apart the remains of the Colossus and shipped the bronze to Syria to sell. It is said that it took 900 camels to carry all that bronze. * Robert Silverberg, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (New York: Macmillan Company, 1970) 99.

Offensive and Otherwise Inappropriate German Words

Offensive and Otherwise Inappropriate German Words Warning: This article may contain  examples of the following language: unanstndig  dirty, obscene, indecent; improper, rude, ill-manneredunanstndige Wà ¶rter gebrauchen  Ã‚  to use four-letter words, bad languagedie Unanstndigkeit  (-en)  dirty joke, obscenityUnanstndigkeiten erzhlen  Ã‚  to tell dirty jokes You may find some of the words and expressions  contained in this German  glossary objectionable.  As with English, most should  only to be used when and if you really know what youre doing. This article isnt explicitly (ha) meant to promote the use of these expressions, but to arm you with information. As  Goethe  said, a lack of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.   Cursing and Swearing  (das Fluchen) While most swear words in English are sexual or have to do with your parentage, German leans more towards the scatological (having to do with excrement or feces). Although Germans sometimes borrow  the English f-word, the German version is rarely used in swearing. German terms roughly equal to American bullsh or British bollocks include:   der BockmistScheiß redenScheiße!Quatsch mit Soße Donnerwetter!  Darn it! Zum Donnerwetter!  , it depends on the tone of your voice and how it is said. As an interjection of acknowledgment, it is more like My word! You dont say. die Drecksau/der Dreckskerl  filthy swine, bastard die Hà ¶lle  hell   Ã‚  Ã‚  Fahr zur Hà ¶lle!   Go to hell!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zur Hà ¶lle mit...   To hell with...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sie machte ihm das Leben zur Hà ¶lle.   She made his life a living hell. NOTE: Avoid anglicisms like  was in der Hà ¶lle!  Most English hell expressions are Teufel expressions in German. Der Mist  is a mild German word meaning dung, manure, or rubbish/nonsense. However, when used in some compound words (der Mistkerl,  das Miststà ¼ck), it is no longer fit for polite society! der Mistkerl  bastard, dirty swinedas Miststà ¼ck  bastard (m.), bitch (f.) verdammt  damned, bloody Verdammt!   Damn!/DammitVerdammt noch mal!   Damn it all!/Damn it to hell!/Bloody hell! (Br.)Verdammter Mist!   Goddamn it!/Sod it! (Br.) verflucht!  damn! Verflucht noch mal!   For chrissake!/Goddamn it! der Scheiß  /  die Scheiße Variations of this German word [literally, sh, crap, damn, bloody (Br.)] are so ubiquitous as to warrant an entire section of its own.  It is important to know that the German and English versions of the s-word are not always equal. The English subtitles of German movies often mistranslate the German expletive  Scheiße!  Its use in German is frequently closer to English Damn! or Dammit! To say This town really sucks, you could say:  Diese Stadt ist echt Scheiße.  Although it sometimes isnt as strong a curse word as English Sh! that doesnt mean you should casually use  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Scheiße!  in German. An expression such as  Dieses Scheißauto!  could mean This f-ing car! or This damned car! - depending on how it is said and by whom.   Scheiß-  prefix  lousy, shty, bloody (Br.), crappy, damned (thing).  This prefix, like its cousin above, often should be translated as damned (thing), or something more mild than you might think. For instance, when a German says  So ein Scheißwetter!, it only means that the weather is really bad: Such awful weather! By the same token,  Diese Scheißpolitiker!  means These damned politicians! (a universal complaint).   scheißegal  adj.  of no damned importanceDas ist mir  (doch)  scheißegal!  I dont (really) give a damn/f-/sh (about that)!scheißen  to sh, crapDu scheißt mich an!  Youre sh-in me!/Youre a pain in the ass!Ich scheiß drauf!  I dont give a damn/f-/sh (about that)!der Scheißkerl  bastard, son-of-a-bitch, motherf-er Obscene Hand Gestures While we dont include inappropriate gestures in this glossary, you should know that some hand signs or gestures are universal, but others are not. In some parts of the world, the American OK sign (finger and thumb forming an O) is an insult having to do with a body orifice. If a German taps his/her forehead with the index finger in someones direction, that is a bad thing (meaning the other person is an idiot), and punishable by a fine if a policeman sees it or someone files charges. Sexual Terms and Body Parts Many of the terms in this glossary relate to human sexuality. Some of them have a double meaning that you should be aware of. If you refer to an animals tail in German (der Schwanz), thats OK, but you should also know that the same term is a crude way of referring to the male sex organ. The German verb  blasen  can have many of the same multiple meanings that blow has in English. But if you want to enjoy a good German erotic novel, youll find some of that vocabulary here as well. blasen  Ã‚  to blow (fellatio) jemandem einen blasen   to go down on s.o., do fallatioSie hat ihm einen geblasen.   She gave him a... ficken  Ã‚  to fk, have sex (vulgar),  mit jemandem ficken   to fk s.o. NOTE:  The German forms of  ficken  are used only in a sexual sense. Most English fs: Fk him!   Der kann mich doch am Arsch lecken!; This f-ing car!   Dieses Scheißauto!; We were just f-ing with you.   Wir haben dich nur verarscht.; Fk off!   Verpiss dich! geil  horny.  This word (along with  supergeil) has become slang for cool or great in German.  Das ist ja geil!   Thats really cool! die Eier  (pl.)  balls, nuts (lit.  eggs) einhandsegeln  (teen slang)  to jerk off, wank, spank the monkey einparken  (teen slang)  to have sex, get laid, bang die Kiste  boobs, tits; (big) buttDie hat ne große Kiste.   Shes got big tits.Note: In some regions, this can mean a big butt rather than boobs. knallen  to bang, screw der Knutschfleck  (-en)  hickie, love bite The Bottom Line der Arsch   ass, arse; butt.am Arsch der Welt in the middle of nowhere, in a Godforsaken holeam/im Arsch sein to be screwed upDas geht mir am Arsch vorbei! I dont give a sh (about that)!in den Arsch gehen to get screwed upDu kannst mich! (am Arsch lecken) You can kiss my ass!Leck mich am Arsch! Kiss my ass!/F- off!Setz deinen Arsch in Bewegung! Get your ass in gear!er Arschkriecher/der Arschlecker (-)  ass-kisser, brown-nosedas Arschloch  a-holeder Po  bottom, behind, butt kommen  to come, have an orgasm der/das Kondom  condom.  Also known by many slang terms:  Gummi,  Pariser, etc. die Mà ¶pse  (pl.)  tits, boobs pissen  to piss, pee.   sich verpissen   to piss off, f- off der Sack  (Scke)  bag, sac, sack; scrotum, balls (testicles); bastard, bugger, sod ein fauler Sack  a lazy bum, lazy bastard/bugger (degree of harshness depends on circumstances/tone of voice)eine faule Socke  a lazy bum (less harsh than fauler Sack) die Sau  sow, bitch, bastard.  alte Landsau  stupid old bitch, dumb bastard (lit., old country sow).  Also see Schwein below!  In German, words related to the pig (sow, swine) fill in for English terms of illegitimacy (bastard, son-of-a..., etc.).   Sau-  prefix  bloody, damn, lousydie Sauarbeit  damned/bloody/lousy workdas Sauwetter  damned/bloody/lousy weather die Scham  shame; private parts, genitals, vulva (fem.) das Schamhaar  pubic hair scharf  hot, horny, sexually aroused Ich bin scharf auf ihn.  I have the hots for him. die Scheide  Ã‚  vagina.  The  Rammstein  song lyric bis der Tod der Scheide is a play on this word and the phrase bis der Tod euch scheidet (till death you do part) in their song Du hast. See  full lyrics. der Schwanz, die  Schwnze, das  Schwnzchen (diminutive)  tail, slang for penis das Schwein  pig, bastard, son of a bitch, swine.  This is one of the worst words in German! NEVER use it (or its compounds) unless you know what youre doing, and probably not even then! Ironically,  Schwein haben  means to be lucky:  Wir haben Schwein gehabt.   We were lucky. (We came out smelling like a rose.) Schweine:  So eine Schweinerei!  How disgusting!/What a dirty trick! der Strich  prostitution; red-light district.  auf den Strich gehen  to be a prostitute, ply her / his wares der Teufel  devil Zum Teufel!   Dammit!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wer zum Teufel hat das gemacht?   Who the hell did that?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Der Teufel soll mich holen, wenn...   Ill be damned if...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Geh zum Teufel!   Go to hell!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hol dich der Teufel!   Go to hell!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scher dich zum Teufel!   Go to hell!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Der Teufel wird los sein.   The sts gonna hit the fan. All hells gonna break lose. ​die Unaussprechlichen  (pl.)  ones unmentionables (humorous) die Zuckerstange  (slang)  penis (candy cane) German Slang Terms for Masturbation Lest you think that German has an abnormally large number of terms for masturbation,  let me point out that English does as well. sich abzapfenaus dem Handgelenk schà ¼ttelnden Fleischtopf rà ¼hrenden Schimmel schà ¼ttelnden Trumpf in die Hand nehmendie Hnde in den Schoß legendie Ladung là ¶schen, entsaftendie HandmassageHuptling Schnelle Vorhauthobelnkrumme Finger machenOld Schà ¼ttelhandsein eigenes Sà ¼ppchen kochenselbst ist der Mannsich einen runterholensich einen von der Palme schà ¼ttelnsich entschleimensich Luft machenTaschenbillarddas ÃÅ"bel an der Wurzel packenwichsen Derogatory Terms for  Other People  (Xenophobia,  der Auslnderhass) Like English and other languages, German  has many derogatory and insulting terms for groups of people most of which, not surprisingly, should be avoided at all times.  Some Germans, Austrians, and Swiss, particularly members of right-wing (rechtsextreme), neo-Nazi, or other hate groups, express their dislike of foreigners and other enemy categories (leftists, women, gays) with derogatory German slang terms. Because of their inflammatory nature, we have included only a few terms here, but others are easy enough to find elsewhere online. Of interest, the simple German phrase Im proud to be a German â€Å"Ich bin stolz, ein Deutscher zu sein.† is considered a typical German right-wing slogan.  While in many countries, such a statement is considered normal and patriotic, in Germany it has overtones going back to the Nazi era.   Other phrases associated with right-wing extremist groups include the following: der Hitlergruß: Nazi salute (Hitler salute).  A right-wing symbol of neo-Nazi groups such as the skinheads in Germany. Any display of Nazi symbols, the swastika, Nazi flags, or Nazi-related regalia is against the law in Germany.Unarische  non-AryansUndeutsche  un-GermansRotfaschisten  red fascistsZecken  ticks, blood-suckersRechte  (Rightists)Faschos  fascistsGlatzen  skinheads (baldies)Neonazis  neo-NazisRechtsextremisten  extreme right-wingersSkinheads  skinheadsUnrechtssystem  unjustice systemUnterrassen  sub-racesweißer Spiesser  WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) More Insults Subkulturen  (Subcultures, e.g., Punks, Goths, etc.)Dekadente  decadentsAsseln/Assis/Asoziale  asocialsVertreter der Wirtschaft  (Business People)Kapital- und Politbonzen  capitalistic and political fat-catsLinke  (Leftists)der Piefke  (PEEF-kah)  Kraut, Heini, Jerry (German person).  Austrians use this word as a disparaging term for a German, somewhat like the Mexican use of gringo for an American. Even in Germany, a  Piefke  is a pompous idiot, so it is not a word to be used lightly.  Ein kleiner Piefke  is a little pipsqueak. Bodily Functions der Pups  fartfurzen  to fart, cut onepupsen  to cut one, fartdie Kacke  caca, crap, sh. Example:  dann ist aber die Kacke am Dampfen.  | Then the sh will really hit the fan.die Flitzerkacke  (teen slang)  the shs, diarrhea (der Durchfall)kacken  to crap, poop, sh