Besides the celebrated Colossus, 3000 other statues adorned the city, and of these 100, according to Pliny, were on such a scale that the presence of any one of them would have been sufficient to ennoble any other spot. The architecture of Rhodes was of a stately and imposing character ; the ground on which it stood sloped gradually to the sea, like the interior of an ancient theatre. The plan designed by the same architect who built the Piraeus at Athens, was perfectly symmetrical, as much, Aristides remarks in his `,Rhodian Oration,' as if it had been one house. The streets were wide and of unbroken length, and the fortifications, strengthened at intervals with lofty towers, did not appear, as in other cities, detached from the buildings which they inclosed, but by their boldness and decision of outline heightened the unity and connection of the groups of architecture within. The temples were full of the finest paintings, the works of Protogenes, Zeuxis, and other artists of the school of Rhodes. The celebrated picture of Ialyans, by Protogenes, which was afterwards brought to Rome, was the object of universal admiration. The coins of Rhodes are numerous and of good workmanship.
In the reign of Heraclius (a.n. 610), Rhodes is mentioned among the conquests of Chosroes, king of Persia, but it reverted to the dominion of the Greek emperors shortly afterwards. In the kalifate of Othman, 651, it was taken by Moawiyah, one of his generals, and the fragments of the Colossus, which had been lying on the ground ever since its fall, were collected by the Saracens, and sold to a Jewish merchant of Edeesa. It afterwards came again under the sway of the Greek emperors. In the year 1310 Fulke de Villaret, grand master of the Knights of St. John, made himself master of the island, which became from that time the place of residence of the order, till their final expulsion in the 16th century. Five years after their settle ment they sustained a formidable siege from Othman, the Turkish sultan, and, notwithstanding the unprepared state of their fortifications, succeeded in repulsing him, and a few years afterwards his eon Orkan. From this period they continued to resist the constantly increasing power of the Turks, for about 200 years, adding to the advantages of a position naturally very strong the moat skilfully designed fortifica tions that could be devised in the 14th and 15th centuries, and making the numerical superiority of the infidels of little avail, by their better organisation in the field, more efficient weapons and armour, and incredible valour. In 1314, in the grand-mastership of Helcon de Villeneuve, they attacked and took Smyrna, which they maintained as an outpost. About 50 years later the order engaged in a league to check the increasing power of Bajazet, and sustained a severe loss at the fatal battle of Nicopolis. In 1401 Tamerlane deprived them of Smyrna. In 1480 Mehemet II. laid siege to Rhodes, and, notwith standing the immense force of artillery employed against it, could not take the place. - The last and most memorable siege of Rhodes was June, 1522, by the Turks, conducted by their sultan Solyman II. The princes of Christendom, thinking probably that it was hopeless to attempt the defence of so distant an outpost, abandoned Rhodes to its fate, and its gallant inhabitants held out till they were nearly buried in the ruins of their fortifications. Their grand-master, Villiers de Lisle Adam, entered into a capitulation in December the same year, end evacuated Rhodes on honourable terms, retiring with his knights to the island of Malta. Tho island of Rhodes has ever since remained a province of the Turkish empire.
The greatest length of Rhodes, from north to south, is about 36 miles, and its breadth 18 miles. ^The air is mild and healthy, and
fragrant from the number of orange and citron groves and of aromatic herbs. The soil is fertile, producing grapes, figs, and corn. The population has been variously estimated at from 20,000 to 40,000. The inhabitants are governed by a bey, who holds his office for life. The bey farms the revenues and pays an annual sum of half a million of piastres every year to the Porte, besides fitting out a frigate every two or three years. Ship-building is the chief employment of the Rhod inns.
Homer mentions three cities of Rhodes—Lindus, Camino, and lalysaus. These were the three most ancient Doric cities in the island which flourished long before the foundation of Rhodes. Pre vious to this event which took place in ac. 408, Lineles, like the other cities, was a small independent state; a great part of its population was removed to the new city, and the town lost its political but not its religious importance. It continued famous for its two ancient sanctuaries, one of Athena, said to have been built by Danaus or his daughters on their flight from Egypt ; the other of Hercules, the worship in which was conducted in vituperative language. Lindus contained several of the paintings of Parrhasius. It was the birth place of Cleobulus, one of the seven sages of Greece, whose song of the swallow (which the Lindian boys used to sing in *spring), has been preserved by Athenreus. The site is still marked by a town called Lindos, a neat little place on the east side of the island. The remains at Lindos include many beautiful decorated tombs, a theatre at the foot of the acropolis, and ruins of two Greek temples, one of which Is supposed to have been the sanctuary of Athena, above mentioned. Hamilton however (' Asia Minor,' voL ii, p. 55), says that the building taken for a temple of Minerva was a tomb with a Doric facade excavated in the rock. The harbour of Lindos is frequented by small craft; the vicinity of the town produces wine and figs, but little else.
earnings was also a coast town, and situated on white cliffs, which consist of white scagliola limestone. Hamilton thinks that the site is marked by ancient Hellenic and Cyclopean walls at a place still called Camino, between Rhodes and Lindos. There are some more modern ruins on the spot erected by the knights of Rhodes, probably from the materials of ancient structures. No other ancient remains of Camirus have been discovered.
Ielyssus was situated less than a mile S.W. of the city of Rhodes. It was a mere village in the time of Strabo; the city having decayed in consequence of the rise of Rhodes. The site is now marked by the village of lab's°, about which a few ancient remains exist.
Of the town of Rhodes on the east aide and at the northern extremity of the island, there are no remains earlier than the time of the knights, but all their works are interesting specimens of the military architecture of the middle ages. On entering Rhodes from the sea, two harbours, separated by a narrow quay, present them selves ; the larger, to the north, is called Mandraici, and the smaller is named the Port; the narrow quay which separates them forms a curve, having on its extremity next the sea • round tower, and farther inland • square one of great strength and crowned with turrets of observation at the four corners. Attached to it is a curtain, which connects it with the fortification of the town within. From the other aide of the smaller port a narrow quay juts out, on which is another round tower. The Turks have suffered the entrance to Mandraici to be so much obstructed u to impede the navigation. The buildings of the town exhibit a curious mixture of the European and Saracenio styles.