Greek Island Holidays - Flight, Hotel and Holiday Rhodes
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Welcome to Rhodes, in the Dodecanese group of Greek Islands. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands and has a population of almost 100,000. It is popular with tourists who appreciate the almost uninterrupted days of sunshine and its sandy beaches. As if these blessings weren't sufficient the island itself is one of great beauty with villages scattered across a landscape that moves through dry and rocky to fertile and wooded.
The old town of Rhodes is World-heritage listed and is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe. The city was founded in 408 BC and its planning was in the hands of the skilled architect, Hippodamos. Rhodes was towards the geographical limits of Minoan and Mycenaean influence and didn't become important as a trading centre until the arrival of the Dorians 3000 years ago. Rhodes' relationship with Athens was not always friendly and, although Rhodes was allied with Athens in the Battle of Marathon in 490BC, 10 years later the island was alllied with the Persians in the Battle of Salamis. Persian defeat at the hands of the Athenians brought Rhodes back, temporarily, to Athens' side. In the Peloponnesian Wars, about 60 years later, Rhodes was allied with Sparta against Athens. In the early years of the 5th century BC Rhodes had again switched allegiance and this time was was allied with Athens and against Sparta.
In the years that followed, Rhodes first battled against Alexander the Great then became his ally; after his death Ptolemy had the island's support. It was at this time that Rhodes defended itself successfully against one of Ptolemy's rivals, Demetrius Poliorketes, and in celebration, the massive bronze statue of Helios Apollo (The Colossus of Rhodes) was constructed. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world it stood 32metres high. However, it remained in place for a mere 65 years before it fell to the ground during an earthquake and remained like that for almost 1000 years. In 653 AD it was cut up by the Saracens and sold to a merchant in Edessa.
The years following the defeat of Demetrius were years of power and prosperity for Rhodes. The island had the largest fleet in the Aegean; the port was a major trading centre; arts and culture prospered at the expense of Athens. Rhodes' days of glory went into decline after the assassination, in 44BC, of Julius Caesar, whom Rhodes supported. The Romans invaded Rhodes, destroying ships and looting the city of its works of art, which found their way to Rome. By 70AD Rhodes was part of the Roman Empire. Further destruction was wreaked on the island, by an earthquake, in 155 AD then again, just over a hundred years later, when it was invaded by Goths. Over the centuries that followed, Rhodes suffered invasion and rule by, successively, Byzantines, Persians, Saracens, Turks, Genoese, Knights Hospitallers, and Ottomans. Earthquakes shook the island in the 19th century. Rhodes was finally returned to Greece in 1947.
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