The Colossus of Nero was an enormous statue the Emperor Nero had erected in his image in the vestibule of the Domus Aurea. The Greek architect, Zenodorus, designed the bronze statue which reached 100 to 120 Roman feet (37m) high, depending on the source. Pliny the Elder, however, suggests that it was made out of marble. After Nero's reign, the Emperor Vespasian renamed it as the sun-god Helios (Colossus Solis) because of his dislike for Nero. The Emperor Hadrian created a masonry base for the colossus and purportedly moved the statue to create space for the Temple of Venus and Roma near the Colosseum (Amphitheatrum Flavianum). Marble originally covered the masonry face of this pedestal which was filled with concrete in typical Roman fashion. The remains of the masonry pedestal were removed in 1936. [1] Many experts believe that the name for the Colosseum is derived from this monument.
References
- ^ Nash, Ernest. 1961. Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome, Volume 1. Frederick A. Praeger, New York. p268.
