On the alleged arab destruction of the colossus of rhodes c. 653

This paper offers a new explanation of the origin of the story as apparently recorded by Theophilus of Edessa that the Arabs had destroyed the Colossus when they had captured Rhodes c. 653. It is argued that this may preserve an urban legend from Emesa concerning the origin of the bronze used in some adornment of the city, where this bronze may well have been imported into Syria by Arab raiders who had plundered as far as Rhodes c. 653. However, the scrap bronze with which they had returned had probably been gathered upon Rhodes as a result of raids upon a number of different targets rather than discovered there initially.