THE COLOSSUS OF NERO EXPLAINED

Elephants pulling the Colossus of Nero from Nero's palace to the Colosseum in 128 AD
© atouchofrome.com

The image above shows a remarkable event in Roman history when a massive bronze statue, as high as the Statue of Liberty, was pulled 100 metres (330 feet) by 24 elephants from emperor Nero's palace grounds to the Colosseum. This event happened in the year 128 AD, almost fifty years after the Colosseum opened in 80 AD.

Notice how the head of the statue is crowned with a radiant crown (Corona Radiata) made of spiky Sun rays added so the statue symbolized Sol, Roman god of the Sun, later known as Sol Invictus. One hand rests upon a pillar while the other controls a rudder (gubernaculum) affixed to a globe, symbolizing how Rome steering the world. Given the statue's size and the power of wind during storms, the pillar and rudder on either side played an important role in stablilizing the statue.

Today, the massive ruins of the Temple of Venus and Roma (seen in images below) cover the low hill seen behind the statue in the drawing above, which was why the statue needed to be moved to allow construction of the temple by emperor Hadrian.

This huge temple housed two goddess that were very important to the Romans - Venus Felix and Roma Aeterna - in separate large cella rooms arranged back-to-back. This grand temple, the largest in Rome at that time, is seen prominently in the next two images, below. Notice, also, how a long colonnade is seen on either side of the temple, which rests upon a high platform with arches and staircases in front.

Colossus of Nero viewed from the top of the Colosseum in 315 AD

Behind the huge Temple of Venus and Roma (middle) is the main Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill, and just to the right (with the big windows) is the Basilica of Maxentius in the Roman Forum. Just a bit further right (long building on horizon) you can see the Basilica Ulpia in the Forum of Trajan. And at bottom left is the huge and circular Meta Sudans fountain where gladiators washed after fighting in the Colosseum. This is one of three high-quality images licensed from Faber-Courtial's "Colosseum" video, an exceptionally realistic and impressive recreation.

Licensed from © Faber-Courtial - suggested by Martin Conde

As shown above in the early 315 AD, the Colossus of Nero stood between the Temple of Venus and Roma and the Colosseum, where it remained for at least another hundred years. The image above realistically show a very busy area around the colossus, filled with people and numerous market stalls.

You can see why this temple was considered the biggest in Rome. Notice also the large cone-shaped Meta Sudans fountain seen on the left, where water oozed down the cone into a large circular pool where gladiators went to refresh and tend to their wounds after fighting in the Colosseum .

The next image looks south at the Colossus of Nero from behind, towards the Arch of Constantine and the imperial palaces.

Colossus of Nero seen from behind - 315 AD
Licensed from © Faber-Courtial - suggested by Martin Conde

The image above illustrates a huge gilded-bronze statue that is showing its age after 240 years of exposure to the Sun and rain. Nevertheless, the Colossus of Nero still looks impressive, and its metallic surface still retains much of its golden lustre. The decision by emperor Hadrian to move the giant gold statue to the main hub of ancient Rome certainly was a great way to help infuse the city core with a display of imperial grandeur and authority.

Truly, the Colossus of Nero must have been awe inspiring as it dominated the surrounding landscape. The drawing also shows us a busy plaza full of vendors and people wandering about, a fascinating look at the heart of ancient Rome in its prime, when the population soared to one million.

We know the image above dates from the fourth century because of the Arch of Diocletian, seen next to the Meta Sudans fountain. This massive triumphal arch, which still exists, was completed by by emperor Constantine in 315 AD, the date I gave for both images above. Furthermore, by that date, the colossus was 240 years old, and had been in that location for almost two centuries.

In the next section, I explore the early history of the Colossus of Nero, and the artist who created it.

Colossus of Nero location in 75 AD vs 128 AD
My artwork & labels superimposed over Google Earth image

In the image above, you can see the Colossus of Nero's first location in the Vestibule area just left of of the larger main palace building where the Colosseum was built a decade later. The video below shows The Colossus of Nero was inspired by the Colossus of Mercury built in Roman Gaul (France) ten years earlier by the same artist, Zenodorus.

History tells us emperor Nero was so impressed by the Mercury colossus statue he commissioned Zenodorus to create a colossus of himself for his new huge palace - as written by Roman historian Pliny the Elder - click to see quote.

After the notorious emperor Nero died in 68 AD at age 30 by suicide, many Romans wanted all traces of him and his huge palace erased - which is why those white palace walls seen in the diagram above no longer exist - they were all demolished within a few decades after Nero's death. When Romans were really angry with a former emperor or any person, they declared "Damnatio Memoriea" - a process whereby all statues, images, and inscriptions of that person were all erased.

Today, the spot where the statue originally stood in Nero's palace complex is now located midway inside the ruins of the Temple of Venus and Roma, over 100 metres (330ft) away from the Colosseum.

To see a recent Google Earth image I made of the Colosseum area that marks the distance the colossus travelled please click this link. This was a great distance to pull a statue that probably weighed over 100 tonnes (tons), not counting the supporting understructure (pedestal) that would easily have doubled the weight.

Colossus of Nero in 130 AD beside the Colosseum

The beard on the statue is questionable because the Roman Sun god Sol was usually portrayed as clean-shaven and with youthful features. And though Nero had a partial beard (neckbeard), his likeness was removed from the colossus following his death in 64 AD, at which time the Roman Senate decreed Damnatio Memoraie upon the memory of Nero.

Licensed from © Lithodomos 2025

In the image above, we see an image by an artist who shows us a very golden and shiny Colossus of Nero that also is bearded and looks somewhat like either emperor Hadrian or Nero, in my opinion. Again, we see the colossus after it was moved from Nero's palace and installed upon its new pedestal base beside the Colosseum.

At this point in time, the statue was known as the Colossus Solis, a giant statue representing the Roman god of the Sun, complete with a radiant crown of several Sun ray spikes. Additionally, following Roman artistic tradition, the statue displays "heroic nudity," which, for ancient Romans and Greeks, symbolized divinity and a sense of timeless immortality.

Furthermore, the statue's left arm rests upon a tall, rectangular support whilst its right hand, in contrast, controls a ship's rudder atop a globe, symbolizing control over land and sea, as the Roman empire is steered carefully and wisely. But who is doing the "steering" - the Roman Sun god Sol or the current emperor? The answer is both.

Although, the Colossus of Nero became known as the Colossus Solis, dedicated to the god of the Sun, the average Roman certainly would have understood the colossus also represented the emperor and how he guided the Roman world. The Colossus of Nero, located in the heart of the empire, was a huge statement about imperial power and ideology. Many emperors paid to maintain the colossus for hundreds of years because of its useful propaganda and prominent imperial and divine symbolism. Consequently, the statue was a hybrid symbol fusing both the emperor and the divine.

It really is fascinating how many artists over the years have not accurately shown how the Colossus of Nero looked during most of its lifetime. Sometimes it is shown wearing a toga, holding a sphere in one hand, both legs straight, etc. And if you look for images of the Colossus on the internet, you will find there are two main ways the statue is displayed, as shown below - one is correct, the other is not.

Both drawings above show the Colossus of Nero in 141 AD, the year the background Temple of Venus and Roma was completed. The first drawing shows a simpler colossus holding a globe in one hand, whereas the second drawing shows a more complex colossus resting one arm on a pillar while its right hand holds a rudder attached to a globe.

But only one of those drawings is actually correct. An ancient Roman image, dating back to just after the Colossus of Nero was completed, shows us a statue with a pillar, rudder, and globe - and that means the colossus basically always looked that way, except for a few years during the reign of the insane emperor Commodus. I will show that image in the following diagram.

Examine the three images below showing an ancient Roman medallion, a carved gem, and a gold coin.

Colossus of Nero seen on a Roman gem and a medallion

The first and second images are very similar - a naked man, with one leg bent, a spiky crown, a rudder connected to a sphere. The third image is not correct for many reasons, primarily because the coin was made almost 20 years before the colossus was completed. Notice how the second image clearly shows a Colossus of Nero with several "rays" forming the radiant crown around his head, which is the same number stated in a Roman document from 354 AD stating: "the colossal statue, at 102 feet hight, has 7 rays on its head..." The number of rays shown in images is usually seven, but it can vary.

Both the first and second images show a giant statue of a naked man wearing a spiky raidant crown while resting his left arm on a pillar, and gripping a ship's rudder on top of a globe with his right hand. We can also see the statue was very tall, judging by its height compared to the Colosseum seen in the first image.

Because the Colossus of Nero was actually completed in 75 AD - not 68 AD as often stated - that means the statue looked like the gem image perhaps from the very start, or at least soon after, as supported by Prof. Albertson in the quote below:

The significance of the Berlin gem is its date, late first to early second century. Thus it reproduces the "Neronian-Vespasianic" Colossus as designed by Zenodorus. The gem also verifies that the Colossus, as completed in A.D. 75, remained unchanged throughout its history.

Fred C. Albertson - Zenodorus' Colossus of Nero - Chap 4

Consequently, the Colossus of Nero took 11 years to fully complete - from 64 to 75 AD. And during the first four years, while emperor Nero was still alive, it is possible the statue's face resembled that emperor until it was changed by emperor Vespasian, anytime after 69 AD.

Additionally, apart from the carved gem image suggesting the arm-supporting pillar and rudder-globe were always part of the statue, another scientific consideration is how those structures were very likely essential because they were critical extra supports that stabilised a huge Colossus of Nero statue regularly subjected to strong winds, storms, and earthquakes.

It is very interesting how the first image above (the medallion) shows a colossus looking much like the one seen in the second image - over 100 years after it was moved in 128 AD. This medallion image strongly indicates that the Colossus of Nero did not really change by the mid-third century,175 years after the colossus was completed. And now we will finally look at the third image showing a gold coin displaying a figure wearing a toga and holding a globe.

The image we see on the gold coin is quite different compared to the images seen on the carved gem and medallion. The gold coin shows a clothed emperor Nero portraying the Roman Sun god Sol, while standing in a toga with a radiant crown on his head. He is also holding the goddess Victoria (victory) perched upon a globe in one hand, which represents "victory over the world," whilst also holding a branch in his other hand.

Though this is a very interesting and charming gold coin, it does not show the Colossus of Nero at all simply because it was minted in 55 or 56 AD, almost twenty years before the colossus was completed in 75 AD.

In addition to the problem of having been minted in 56 AD, the gold coin does not represent the Colossus of Nero simply because of the enormous amount of work that would have been required to change the statue from clothed to nude after Nero's death. Such a reworking of the colossus basically would have required the reworking or replacement of much of the surface of the statue. Additionally, the arm positions are also quite different, requiring even more work.

In my personal opinion, to accept that the gold coin correctly portrays the Colossus of Nero is to accept that virtually a whole new giant statue was created after Nero's death. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume this beautiful gold aureus coin image may have inspired emperor Nero to later build the Colossus of Nero as an expression of his megelomania, his desire for divine status, and a dramatic way to enhance the entrance vestibule area to his huge Golden Palace (Domus Aureau).

The face of the Colossus of Nero changed several times over the course of four centuries and eighty emperors. But of all those emperors, Roman historians mention that only Vespasian, Commodus, and the Roman Senate made changes to the colossus. There is a good possibility emperor Pertinax was involved with the Roman Senate's rollback of changes to the colossus by the deranged emperor Commodus. And as regards emperor Nero, he did not make any changes at all to the colossus - he was the one who commissioned the artist Zenodorus to create the huge statue in 64 AD.

The changing face of the Colossus of Nero over four centuries
Emperor images are Public Domain - Colossus images are my own

The diagram above shows the four faces of the Colossus of Nero over the course of its four centuries, with the faces of the emperors responsible shown above. The most radical change (the "Hercules" face) happened during the reign of emperor Commodus.

I will now examine how the emperors shown in the diagram affected the Colossus of Nero.

NERO

The very name of the giant statue - the "Colossus of Nero" - suggest a colossus that must have looked like Nero, but that is not certain because he died by suicide seven years before the colossus was unveiled to the public in 75 AD. Nevertheless, because there is a good chance the head of the uncompleted colossus was originally modelled after Nero during the first four years of its construction, I have shown what that face may have looked like in the diagram above.

However, even if the colossus did have Nero's likeness, it would have been for only a few years. Right after Nero's death (forced to commit suicide after being declared a 'public enemy'), the Roman Senate issued a decree of Damnatio Memoraie ordering all memory of Nero erased from history and public monuments.

There was no way Roman Senators or the Roman Elite would tolerate the existence of a giant statue in the heart of Rome that symbolized the despised Nero. An interesting fact is the term "Damnatio Memoraie" is a Latin term that came about in the 1700s. The Romans probably would have used the terms "Memoria Damnata" or "Abolitio Nominis."

VESPASIAN As a consequence of the efforts to banish all memory of former emperor Nero, the next emperor, Vespasian, who co-ruled with his son Titus, transformed the giant statue into the Colossus Solis, a representation of the Roman sun god Sol, complete with a crown of spiky Sun rays. And though Vespasian and his son were co-rulers, it is important to recognize that Vespasian was definitely the senior partner and decision maker in that relationship. Nevertheless, it is qutie possible Titus may have assisted in father in deciding what changes were to be made to the colossus. During the transformation of the colossus any facial resemblance to Nero was presumably changed to resemble someone else - but who, exactly? The answer to that is complicated, as explained below. When the colossus was finally completed and revealed to the public, we know how the public reacted on that day in 75 AD. The Roman historian Cassius Dio tells us in Book 65 of his "Roman History" that, when the Colossus Solis was revealed to the public, the Romans were confused about who it resembled: some people thought it looked like Nero, and others thought it looked like Titus, the son of Vespasian, as quoted below.

This statue is said ... to have borne the features of Nero, according to some, or those of Titus, according to others.

Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 65, Chap. 15, Sec. 1

Because Titus and his father looked so alike, it is possible the Romans were actually seeing the face of Vespasian. And something very curious is how Cassius Dio says also that some people saw a resemblance to Nero, which is very puzzling given that those in power who despised him would hardly have tolerated a colossus with the face of Nero by that point.

In conclusion, the face of the Colossus Solis in 75 AD must have been rather ambiguous - a face whose identity was not sharply defined. And I think it is reasonable to suppose that when the colossus was transformed into the Colossus Solis, the artists reused an already-completed Nero's head, which was then altered to resemble the new emperor, resulting in a Colossus Solis in 75 AD that retained features of Nero, while also displaying features of Vespasian, and Titus.

COMMODUS

Commodus

As shown in diagram above (third colossus face), Emperor Commodus altered the face of the Colossus of Nero considerably so it resembled himself as the bearded legendary hero demigod Hercules. This transformation was recorded by several Roman historians such as Cassius Dio and Herodian, among others.

Commodus changed the face of the Colossus of Nero by actually removing the head of the statue and adding a new one. Additionally, he also added a large club and a bronze statue of a nemean lion to the statue.

The true story of the paranoid, murderous, and Hercules-obsessed emperor Commodus and why he altered the Colossus of Nero is fascinating but a bit long, so I have placed it on a special page you can explore by clicking the link below:

Pertinax

Very soon after emperor Commodus was murdered, both the Roman Senate and the Praetorian Guard proclaimed Pertinax, the Prefect of Rome at that time, as the new emperor.

The Roman ruling class absolutely despised Commodus for having made so many extreme changes, such as renaming the city of Rome, and even the months of the year after himself and Hercules, in addition to numerous murders and casting himself as a gladiator - all of them actions that were considered erratic and tyrannical.

As a consequence of his bizarre behviour, immediately after his death Commodus was declared an "enemy of the people " (hostis publicus), and all memory of him was to be erased from monuments, inscriptions, and records.

Furthermore, not only did the Roman Senate want all memory of Commodus erased, they also wanted his body to be dragged through the streets of Rome with hooks, as stated in the quote below showing what the Senators actually declared after his death:

Because the Romans acted so quickly to reverse all the changes Commodus made, the new emperor, Pertinax, would have been part of the process, even though he ruled for less than three months. And the result of all these changes meant that the gigantic Colossus of Nero, located right in the heart of the city, would have been altered quickly, many months before the next emperor, Septimius Severus took over after Pertinax died after just 87 days of being emperor.

The changes Commodus made to the colossus - the new head looking like both himself and Hercules, the large club, the nemean lion - all would have been quickly removed, and the former Sol Invictus head would have been restored.

Yes, it absolutely was, and it may have been even 20% higher. We know its general height because of images and the writings of several Roman historians. To give a comparison, the Colossus of Nero was anywhere from a bit shorter to even taller than the Statue of Liberty, as seen in the diagram below. Also interesting is how both giant statues are representations of the Roman gods Libertas and Sol (Invictus).

Colossus of Nero height compared to Statue of Liberty and Trajan's Column
© atouchofrome.com

As you can see, the Colossus of Nero was quite high and would have looked much higher because of its supporting pesestal base, which is not shown. The Statue of Liberty seems higher because its right arm is fully raised while holding a torch. But let us now see what actual Romans say about the statue's height, below.

WHAT DO ROMAN HISTORIANS SAY ABOUT THE COLOSSUS OF NERO'S HEIGHT?

Below are three quotes by famous Roman historians who wrote about the Colossus of Nero. Each historian specifies a slightly different height that averages around 30 metres (100 feet) today. NOTE: Romans used the Roman Foot which was a bit smaller than today's foot - 11.65 inches or 29.6 cm.

SUETONIUS

Suetonius states the colossus was 120 Roman Feet high - the greatest height given so far. He also mentions the vestibule and confirms the Colossus of Nero was indeed housed there in that part of the Golden Palace, where it stood from at least 68 AD until it was eventually moved beside the Colosseum in 128 AD.

Additionally, his description of the vestibule grand entrace area of the Domus Aureau is quite interesting and informative. Suetonius describes a vestibule structure made of high triple-colonnade walls extending one mile in circumference - enormous, and quite an impressive sight with the soaring colossus in the middle. Obviously, the whole palace was a statement about Nero's power and wealth and his imagined divinity.

CASSIUS DIO

In addition to telling us the Colossus of Nero was exactly 100 Roman Feet in height, Cassius Dio also tells us the newly-created statue bore Nero's appearance. In addition, he also states that the most important street or road in ancient Rome - the Sacred Way or "Sacra Via" - led right to the statue, where it resided in the centre of the Golden Palace Vestibule.

It is also very interesting how he mentions the Colossus of Nero may have borne the features of Titus, who reigned more than ten years after Nero died, and only after the reign of his father, Vespasian, beforehand - thus, Cassius Dio's statement is a little bit confusing.

It is recorded that, after Nero died, the face of his colossus was altered to resemble the new emperor Vespasian. Is it actually possible the face of the Colossus of Nero was altered after Vespanian's death to resemble his son, Titus? Perhaps, but I could not find any evidence that would validate that theory.

PLINY THE ELDER

"He was summoned" refers to the architect and artist, Zenodorus, and how he was commissioned by Nero to make a colossus bearing his appearance, which was changed after Nero's death. Pliny also informs us that, though the Colossus of Nero first represented Nero, it later represented the Roman god of the Sun (Sol), and that the statue was very impressive ("object of awe").

Plain bronze Colossus of Nero vs gilded bronze
Left image: Italo Gismondo - Right image My version

To start answering this question, let us begin first by establishing whether or not the Colossus of Nero was made of bronze and not some other substance such as stone, iron, etc.

One reason we can be reasonably certain the colossus was made of bronze is because so many huge Roman statues were all made of bronze.

But the most important reason we know the statue was indeed made of bronze is because the Roman historian Pliny the Elder tells us so in his writings when he describes his visit to the studio of Zenodorus, where the colossus was being made, as quoted below:

In his studio, we used not only to admire the remarkable likeness of the clay model but also to marvel at the frame of quite small timbers which constituted the first stage of the work put in hand.

That statue showed that he had a keen knowledge of casting bronze, since Nero was ready to provide both gold and silver, and Zenodorus' knowledge of forging and engraving was second to none of the artists of old.

- PLINY, Natural History, Book 34, Chap. 18, Sec. 46

The second part of the quote above tell us the level of bronze casting and workmanship of the Colossus of Nero was so high that, by the time Pliny actually wrote those statements decades later, the quality of bronze workmanship had declined.

Now that we have established the Colossus of Nero really was made of bronze, how do we know that bronze was then covered with gold using the gilding process? I will try to answer that in the next section.

Roman bronze coin compared to a gold coin

The difference between these two Roman coins shows us why many important Roman statues were covered with a thin layer of gold in a process called "gilding." Bronze degrades over time and tarnishes, but gold never never rusts, never tarnishes - a golden object will still shine even after thousands of years. Gold, very rare and malleable, has always been greatly prized for its beauty, lustre, and resistance to corrosion, in addition to being a symbol of wealth, power, and divinity for ages.

Although no Roman historian we know of has actually written that the Colossus of Nero was covered with a thin layer of gold, we can nevertheless be confident in believing the giant statue was indeed made of gilded bronze for the following reasons:

1.	To the Romans, gold was especially associated with the Roman Sun god Sol. And, because Nero liked to associate himself with Sol, a gilded bronze colossus of him would greatly reinforce that divine association. Most interesting is how even the Latin word for gold - Aurum - was closely associated with Aurora, goddess of the dawn. Accordingly, making the Colossus of Nero golden was essential, and not just an option;
2.	Nero seemed to really enjoy golden things, as shown by the huge Domus Aurea - his "Golden Palace" said to have many golden surfaces. Furthermore, a great example of how Nero liked his statues gilded is provided by Pliny who wrote that Nero ordered a statue of Alexander the Great to be gilded, as quoted below: Emperor Nero was so delighted by this statue of the young Alexander he ordered it to be gilt ... Pliny, Natural History, Book 34, Chap. 19, Sec. 63
3.	As mentioned previously, because plain bronze corrodes and tarnishes, it can turn blue or another colour within a few years, especially when exposed to the outside. Consequently, it is almost inconceivable emperor Nero would accept the existence of a non-gilded bronze colossus of himself in the grand entrance Vestibule of his palace;
	Gilded bronze statues of Roman god Hercules and emperor Marcus Aurelius (L to R) William Warby - Wikimedia - Egisto Sani - All CC-BY-2.0
4.	Because gilding bronze statues of Roman gods and emperors was a common practice during that era (see images above), why would the Colossus of Nero have been an exception, especially since it was a statue of the extravagant emperor Nero, himself, portrayed as the important Roman god, Sol?
5.	Nero, like many Roman emperors, used lavish displays to project his power, wealth, and imagined divinity. And creating a huge golden statue that was visible from afar as it sparkled in the Sun would definitely impress and amaze viewers. You can imagine how such a spectacle would be irresistible for someone like Nero whose reign was marked by very extravagant spending that nearly bankrupted the state.

In conclusion, a mixture of much anecdotal and some semi-emperical evidence shows us the bronze Colossus of Nero certainly was gilded. Emperor Nero simply would not have tolerated the creation of a plain bronze statue to represent him as the personification of the Sun god. A plain bronze statue would not have conveyed the important message that he, Nero, was the embodiment of imperial grandeur and divinity, as displayed in the image of the gold aureus coin shown earlier.

Elephants pulling huge teak logs in Burma, 1920s

For thousands of years, the elephant has been used by different civilizations for pulling heavy objects and warfare. The Romans imported many elephants into Rome every year from Africa.

P. Mashall - Public Domain - 1920 - Colour added

For those wondering how, after almost 1,900 years, we know that the Colossus of Nero - while still standing upright - actually was moved by 24 elephants in 128 AD, ancient Roman historain Aeilius Spartianus described the event for us in detail, as quoted below:

With the aid of the architect Decriannus, he raised the Colossus and, keeping it in an upright position, moved it away from the place in which the Temple of Rome⁠ (Roma and Venus) is now, though its weight was so vast that he had to furnish for the work as many as twenty-four elephants.

Aelius Spartianus, Augustan History, Life of Hadrian, Chap. 19, Sec. 12

According to that ancient historian, the Colossus of Nero really was moved by while still upright, and it took up to 24 elephants to move the immense statue from the site of the current Temple of Venus and Roma to its new location beside the Colosseum. Also, the Roman architect and artist who created the colossus, Zenodorus, was not involved in the moving process - it was another architect, Decriannus.

And, very importantly, notice also how he also wrote: "he raised the Colossus," meaning they had to somehow lift that enormous statue off its pedestal. But how could the ancient Romans have possibly done that? Imagine trying to lift the whole Statue of Liberty today - such a feat would be challenging even using modern technology. I will answer that question in the next section after the diagram below.

At this point, I want to explore how those elephants may have pulled the Colossus of Nero much further than thought - up to 50% further - according to new research.

Diagram showing original location of the Colossus of Nero compared to Google Earth view of same area
Images: Dr. Gonsalez-Longo & Google Earth with my additions

According to renowned architect Cristina Gonzalez-Longo, in her 2021 in-depth study of the area where the Colossus of Nero first stood, the huge statue had to be moved almost 150 metres (500 feet), as seen in her excellent diagram (Figure 2.6) seen above, showing the Temple of Venus and Roma area once occupied by emperor Nero's Domus Aurea Golden Palace and Vestibule, where the Colossus of Nero originally constructed and stood for over 50 years.

If the information above is correct, it means that the Colossus of Nero was pulled much further than originally thought. Additionally, Dr. Gonzalez-Longo has revealed that a ramp had to be used to allow the elephants to pull the colossus downwards from its higher starting point to its lower destination.

Part of that ramp can still be seen, as shown in this photo taken from another document by Dr. Gonsalez-Longo and D. Theodossopoulos that focuses on the Temple of Venus and Roma platform. The exact location of that possible ramp along the north-east side corner of the Temple of Venus and Roma can be seen in this diagram showing the exact location of the possible ramp.

Diagram showing the actual distance the Colossus of Nero likely had to be moved in 128 AD due to the need for a ramp to lower the upright statue
I used Google Earth to create this image

Another consideration is that because the Colossus of Nero had to be moved from a higher elevation to a lower elevation - approximately 7 metres (27ft), a ramp had to be used - and this means the colossus was not pulled straight from point A to point B, but had to follow a more complicated and longer path, as shown in the diagram above. I have calculated that the Colossus of Nero, in order to be safely transported in an upright position from a higher to a lower elevation had to be pulled a total distance of around 170 metres (550ft), considerably further than the standard 100 metres (320ft) figure given on most internet websites.

Today's powerful cranes evolved from ancient Roman technology

21st Century crane design is based on the same engineering used by the Romans to lift very heavy weights, namely: compound pulleys, job and beam design, winches anad drums, including leverage devices. The main difference is the power source: engines and electricity versus human and animal muscle power. The Romans could lift up to 100 tonnes (110 tons).

After standing in the Vestibule area of Nero's Golden Palace for fifty-two years since 75 AD, the Colossus of Nero had to be relocated fully intact by order of emperor Hadrian to a new location beside the Colosseum in 128 AD. And even before 24 elephants could start moving the enormous sculpture, it first had to be detached and then lifted off its podium - while still standing and not disassembled - before it could be relocated.

But what means did the Roman architect Decriannus employ to lift a giant statue that stood over 30 metres (100ft) high? The short answer is it was raised off its platform (pedestal) using incredible Roman engineering, as explained further below. And the statue absolutely had to be detached from a brick and concrete platform that probably would have added several hundred extra tonnes.

To raise the enormous weight of the Colossus of Nero in 128 AD in order to move it elsewhere, Roman engineers employed multiple Roman cranes - the tripastos, the pentaspastos, and the polyspaston ("many pulleys"). Those powerful cranes were used by Roman engineers to build the Colosseum, huge Roman baths, and huge Roman temples, as seen the photo below showing a Roman crane lifting a heavy load.

Roman polyspaston crane at work lifting a heavy entablature section

Notice how several pulleys were used, in addition to large lead weights (gray) on the far right of the crane structure, needed to balance out the heavy load. Additional weights in the front were ballast used to adjust the centre of gravity, to counter the long crane "arm" from tipping forward and down - a constant balancing act that required fine tuning to avoid serious accidents.

Crane inspired by an image I licensed from Shutterstock

The crane seen above uses winches to lift up to 3,000kg (3 tons). To lift heavier objects, the crane would instead use treadwheels which then allowed up to 6,000kg (6 tons) to be lifted. To lift extremely heavy objects up to the Roman maximum limit of 100,000kg (100 tons), multiple crane types were used at the same time.

A good example of a Roman structure that pushed Roman engineering to the limit was the construction of the hugest temple the Romans ever built, the Roman temple of Jupiter in Baalbek, built with 100,000kg (100 ton) stone blocks that had to be raised 20metres (60ft).

To read more about this Roman engineering accomplishment, please click this link to a small page I made for this subject.

The Statue of Liberty is far more hollow than the Colossus of Nero

The interior of the Statue of Liberty is essentially hollow, containing a "curtain wall" system designed by the creator of the Eiffel Tower. This system is composed of a large interior pylon supporting an iron lattice armature (now replaced with stainless steel) connecting a "curtain" of thin copper plates only 2.5mm (1/10 inch) thick, arranged so they can expand or contract as the weather changes. In contrast, the outer bronze sections of the Colossus of Nero were much thicker in the lower sections and became thinner in the upper sections, with thickness ranging from 25mm (1 inch) to 8mm (.25 inch).
Public Domain Image

Just like the present-day Statue of Liberty, made of outer copper plates attached to an internal iron framework, the Colossus of Nero also was not a solid structure , which would have required an enormous amount of copper and zinc, in addition to being impossibly heavy. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, which were rare (especially tin) compared to iron in Roman times, which meant those metals had to be conserved and used wisely. Building a 30 metre (100ft) statue made entirely of solid bronze would have been prohibitively expensive and difficult to manage.

NEARLY ALL COLOSSAL STATUES ARE GIANT ASSEMBLED SCULTPURES

Like the title above says, many colossal-sizes statues were created by assembling many parts together, but there are some exceptions, such as the solid stone statues of Egyptian Pharoah Ramses II, the Sphinx, and even Mount Rushmore in the USA. Nevertheless, when it comes to the Colossus of Nero, the Colossus of Rhodes, and Zeus, the Statue of Liberty, etc., they were all created by assembling many parts.

Internal structure of Colossus of Nero compared to Colossus of Rhodes and Statue of Liberty

All three colossal statues (colossi) are approximately 30 metres (100ft) high. Only the Colossus of Nero is golden because it was covered with gilded bronze, whereas the Colossus of Rhodes was covered with plain bronze which oxidizes. And the Statue of Liberty is made of copper, which is why it is a bluish colour. Notice also how all three have a radiant crown made of 7 rays or spikes, which is logical for the Colossus of Nero and the Colossus of Rhodes because they actually are representations of Sol Invictus (Romans) and Helios (Greeks), god of the Sun. However, the Statue of Liberty is actually a representation of the Roman goddess Libertas who wore a special hat (pileus), but the artist added the seven spikes to both show her "enlighening the world," and to represent each of the seven seas.

And to build gigantic metal statues in both ancient and modern times you have to make numerous plates or sections that are then assembled together to create the outside surface. And those metal sections require some kind of support structure made of metal rods and beams with clamps for attachment. That interior support system can also vary in how much additional content is added to the interior to add stability and support. In the case of the mostly hollow Statue of Liberty, there is no stone or concrete inside, whereas the Colossus of Rhodes was filled with stone, and the Colossus of Nero was somewhere in between.

To be specific, the Colossus of Nero had a more solid interior consisting of concrete, stone supporting an imbedded iron framework that likely resembled the support structure of the Colossus of Rhodes, created 350 years earlier (280 BC), as described in the quote below - long before Roman concrete was used. Additionally, while the Colossus of Rhodes had stones even in its upper limbs (as witnessed by Pliny examining the ruins), the Colossus of Nero did not, as such extreme weight would have created huge tension in the joints.

Philo describes an interior core or armature composed partly of stone blocks held together by iron; from a pillarlike core of squared stone blocks, horizontal iron beams projected out to hold an iron framework, a lattice conforming roughly to the shape of the statue. Evidently, the technique required that much of the area comprising the interior of the statue would have been filled with stone blocks.

One could argue that this technique of fused casting in situ was also employed by Zenodorus for the Colossus of Nero ... More enlightening, perhaps, the technique of casting in situ would explain why, when it became necessary to move the Colossus during the reign of Hadrian, the statue was not disassembled and transported in parts to its new site but moved in its entirety.

Fred C. Albertston - Zenodorus' Colossus of Nero - Pg. 100

As the artist built the Colossus of Nero, he assembled stone blocks, perhaps even concrete, into the rough shape of the statue, adding metal beams to support the arms and head, in addition to numerous smaller and protruding metal beams that supported a lattice structure upon which the outer bronze plates were attached to, somewhat resembling the concrete and iron work seen in modern construction, as seen in the photo below.

Iron bolts embedded in concrete to create anchors for attachment of an outer structure

Claims that the Colossus of Nero was mostly hollow are incorrect. To stabilize the structure, bricks and stone and concrete were used in the lower sections and torso, with an iron framework and beams supporinting an iron lattice to which the outer bronze plates were attached. Some sections would have been more hollow than others. In fact, some scholars claim that one of the legs of the Colossus of Nero was hollow enough to allow a marble spiral staircase (a photo is shown in the link) - however, this is still speculative. It is interesting how mediuim-sized Roman bronze sculptures typically have a thicker casting in the bottom areas and a lighter casting in the upper extremities, thus mimicking the internal structure of the Colossus of Nero.

Licensed from Dreamstime 2026

A wooden support structure was highly unlikely because it would not have the necessary tensile strength required to support a statue of such massive scale and weight, in addition to the nature of wood which deteriorates over time due to biological decay caused by fungi, insects and moisture.

Below is another quote showing what the insides of the Colossus of Rhodes looked like after it fell over and then lay in ruins for eight centuries. Notice how he mentions "masses of stone" seen in the cavities in the statue's torso where limbs have broken off, showing it was not hollow. Roman historian Pliny the Elder travelled to Rhodes and actually saw the ruined colossus, which he described as a "marvel":

Where the limbs have been broken off, enormous cavities yawn, while inside are seen great masses of rock with the weight of which the artist steadied it when he erected it.

Pliny the Elder - Natural History, Book XXXIV (34)

Is it possible the Colossus of Nero had a substantial metal beam support structure? Yes, it is possible, though you have to understand that because stone blocks (and even concrete) played an important role in stabilizing the huge statue in the face of wind and small earthquakes, metal composed a smaller part of the overall internal support structure.

The next image shows how Roman engineers and architects certainly knew how to create strong metal support beams connected with huge rivets that look much like modern steel girders used to construct buildings today.

Roman metal girders and rivet support structures that supported the porch roof of the Pantheon
© atouchofrome.com

Yes, those metal girders and rivets (huge in size) seen above are actually Roman and not modern - they were made around 128 AD - Roman engineers were quite advanced. Accordingly, just like the Pantheon's bronze roof trusses (porch/portico area), the Colossus of Nero may have had a rather intricate internal metal girder and rivet support stucture because Roman engineers were certainly capable of creating strong metal frameworks to support the Colossus of Nero's bronze outer structure.

Considering how much material was used - metal, stone, concrete - to construct both the outside and inside of the huge statue, it is surprising and quite unfortunate that none of it has survived for us to view today. Nevertheless, the Colossus of Nero lasted almost four centuries, which is not a bad run. And perhaps someday a small piece of the Colossus of Nero might be found. In the next section, I take a look at the meaning of the symbolic objects used along with the statue.

The symbols that were seen alongside the Colossus of Nero were quite familiar to the average Roman. In particular, the "hand holding a rudder joined to a globe" symbols were not unique to the Colossus of Nero because they represented a concept regularly seen on Roman coins and statues, especially when the Roman goddess Fortuna was being featured.

Emperor Augustus (as Neptune) with one foot atop a globe and a hand holding a ship stern symbol

Roman goddess Fortuna controlling the direction of life and destiny using a rudder and globe

Both Roman coins shown above use symbols to portray a goddess and an emperor controlling the direction of destiny of the Roman world. The left coin shows shows a young emperor Augustus with one foot on a globe while he holds an acrostolium (aplusture), the decoration found on the stern of ancient Roman and Greek ships. This stern symbol, while held in Augustus's hand, symbolizes a ship's naval prowess (especially victory) and the power of the state,. Once again, we see two symbols showing a powerful entity controlling the world, just like the Colossus of Nero.

The coin on the right shows Fortuna, Roman goddess of fortune, luck and fate, and her famous symbols as she holds a rudder affixed to a globe - just like the Colossus of Nero. However, instead of resting her right arm on a pillar, she is holding a cornucopia, signifying abundance. And further down is a compilation of another three Roman coins showing Fortuna, both sitting and standing, and using rudder-globe symbols. To see a photo of a large Roman statue of Fortuna found in 1798 please click here.

Roman coins showing Fortuna compared to a Roman image of the Colossus of Nero

Notice how all four images shows the same rudder and globe symbols. However, for Fortuna, those symbols represent her steering chance and the fickle nature of fate; whereas, for the Colossus of Nero, the symbols represent Roman and divine-like (Sol) dominion over land and sea.

It is completely understandable, that few people today understand the meaning of symbols Romans used in their art. However, in Roman times, it can be safely assumed that nearly all Romans clearly understood what the symbolism meant. Their histories, legends, plays, paintings, songs, and sculptures were replete with objects representing meaningful aspects of their religious and cultural beliefs and life.

And now it is time to explore the question of what happened to the Colossus of Nero - how could such a huge statue just vanish without any trace? This is the mystery I attempt to explain in the next section.

WHY DID ROMANS USE A GLOBE TO REPRESENT THE WORLD?

Atlas & Globe G. Seah CC-BY-SA-3

And this knowledge extended into the Middle Ages and beyond, something which Columbus, for example, surely knew . The problem Columbus had, while sailing across the Atlantic, was his serious miscalculation about how large the world was, leading him to think he had landed in the East Indies or India when he discovered the Americas.

Ancient Greek philosphers like Aristole and Pythagoras accepted the concept that the world was a sphere. And, in 240 BC, the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes used a stick and mathematics to figure out the world was a sphere, and its circumference was 40,000km (25,000 miles) in size - which is quite correct, an impressive achievement.

How did he do that? The interesting video above explains how Eratosthenese did it. The ancients were quite clever and did a lot of amazing things.

Colossus of Nero being toppled in 455 AD

If the colossus was indeed toppled by barbarians, that event would have happened during the brutal 455 AD sack and plunder of Rome by the Vandals that went on for two weeks and was far more destructive compared to the three-day sacking of Rome decades earlier in 410 AD by the Visigoths and their King, Alaric. The nasty Vandals took thousands of Rome's people as slaves and shipped them to North Africa, in addition to systematically looting the city of all gold, silver, and bronze from treasuries and building sculptures, they even stripped the bronze tiles from the huge Temple of Jupiter. In fact, the word "vandalism" refers to those barbarians who sacked Rome so long ago.

I altered an 1831 engraving by an unknown artist

The colossus was damaged or destroyed by severe earthquakes that struck Rome in 443 AD and then again at some point between 484 and 508 AD. These earthquakes were so severe that the nearby Colosseum was damaged and had to be repaired. In particular, the Romans called the second earthquake the "abominadus" (destestable) because it caused so much damage to Rome.

A Roman city (Scythopolis) so devestated by earthquakes in 749 AD it was abandoned
Ori - 2009 - Wikimedia

In the year 400 AD, the Colossus of Nero was well over 300 years old, which, as mentioned earlier, is a lot of time for decay to set it that would weaken the statue's metal structure. Combine the statue's great age with earthquakes in 443 and 484 to 504 AD, and you have a potential recipe for disaster.

For example, the 443 earthquake was so powerful it seriously damaged the Colosseum right next to the Colossus of Nero, causing the upper parts of the amphitheater to fall and damage the marble seats and arena below. It took two emperors (Theodosius II and Valentinian III) years to repair the damage. We know this happened because an inscription of that event survived and can be seen today.

Additionally, more repairs had to be made to the Colosseum forty years later after more serious earthquakes. Consequently, how likely is it that an earthquake, powerful enough to demolish parts of the Colosseum, damaged or even toppled the Colossus of Nero? Very likely, in my opinion. In fact, perhaps falling rubble from the Colosseum struck the colossus, causing serious trauma to the statue.

3. DISMANTLED FOR VARIOUS REASONS

a. The Colossus became a hazard

Due to damage caused by weather, barbarians, and earthquakes, the Colossus of Nero became a public hazard that might collapse, but there was neither the money nor the will to repaired and maintain the structure. Consequently, the Colossus of Nero was dismantled and "recycled," meaning the valuable tonnes of bronze was sold for scrap metal.

The Skylon Tower in London, built in 1951, was dismantled and sold for scrap metal

Great civilizations sometimes build amazing monuments that are then dismantled for various reasons. What happened to the 100 Metre (300ft) high Skylon Tower in London almost happened to the Eiffel Tower 20 years after it was built for the Paris 1889 World's Fair. Could this have happened to the Colossus of Nero?

Photo of my vintage postcard which I colourized

b. Dismantled for being a huge pagan symbol

Another possibility, as shown in the painting below, is the colossus was eventually destroyed after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire in 380 AD (Edict of Thessalonica). The huge Colossus of Nero, in the heart of ancient Rome, represented the Roman Sun god Sol Invictus, a giant pagan symbol that perhaps could no longer be tolerated due to the first and second Commandment prohibiting worship of idols - however, this is considered the least probable reason for the destruction of the colossus.

By the fourth century, Christianity started replacing the Roman pagan religion

Tommaso Laureti - "Triumph of the Cross" - 1580s - Vatican - Showing how a gold crucifix now stands on the podium where a smashed statue of Roman god Mercury once stood. I really like the wonderful opus sectile mosaic floor

Public Domain

Although the two possibilities the Colossus of Nero was dismantled are just speculation, because we will probably never know for sure what caused the destruction of the colossus, though some of the possibilties were more likely than others. Perhaps, there was never really a direct cause such as a sudden earthquake or attack by barbarians. Instead, the cause may have been gradual, a process that happened over many decades or even a century, which I will discuss next.

4. THE ROMAN ECONOMY IN THE FIFTH CENTURY

Did the Roman economic crisis of the fifth century play a part in causing the destruction of the Colossus of Nero? Did the colossus disppear from history due to neglect - a lack of maintenance and repairs - because of a lack of money? To understand how this factor may have contributed to the demise of the colossus, please examine the two alternating maps below showing the size of the Roman empire over the course of 320 years.

When the Colossus of Nero was completed in 75 AD, the Roman economy and territory were still expanding. And the Roman empire reached its greatest extent during the reign of emperor Trajan by 117 AD. As a result, the Romans controlled nearly all of Europe, Britain, all of North Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia all the way to the Persian Gulf - a huge land mass that provided vast amounts of gold, silver, and resources, including tax revenue.

All that money allowed the Romans to finance huge and powerful armies, abundant entertainment spectacles, monumental architecture, prodigious amounts of art, lavish feasts, elaborate jewelery and clothes, etc.

However, by the time the Colossus of Nero reached the fifth century, the Roman empire had lost almost half its territory due to both external and internal factors such as barbarian invasion, economic crisis, political instablility, and a weakened military. You can see how the Roman Empire shrank over the course of three centuries in the alternating maps above. And the consequence of losing so much territory resulted in a much smaller economy, a shrinking population, much lower tax revenues, and not much money left to maintain public buildings and large statues.

Colossus of Rhodes after it fell
At some point, the head of the Colossus of Nero also became an easy target for scavangers
Philips Galle - 1572 - Public Domain

In the fifth century, faced with a lack of recruits, the desperate Romans were paying mercenary barbarian armies to protect their borders, which was very expensive, leaving little money for other expenses. As a consequence, it is possible the Colossus of Nero had to endure decades without maintenance or repairs, causing its outside bronze sections and internal metal structures to corrode and weaken due to the weather.

And a weakend colossus structure would have been more susceptible to collapsing because of strong earthquakes and/or barbarian hordes attempting to pull it down. Once the statue fell, there likely was neither money nor the desire to resurrect the statue, and so it lay broken on the ground as pillagers, desperate for metal, scavanged it all away. But, once again, though the concept of the colossus falling due to simple neglect is plausible, it is just speculation. At the very least, lack of maintenance contributed to the demise of the colossus.

5. DID POPE GREGORY THE GREAT MELT THE COLOSSUS OF NERO?

Gregory the Great

It is stipulated that this Pope ordered the statue - whether still standing or fallen, to be melted. However, there are no actual written records that state Pope Gregory the Great is actually responsible for the statue's destruction - it is just speculation based on how he ordered all statue's of Roman idols destroyed (their arms and legs smashed).

Additionally, because Pope Gregory the Great's reign began just 100 years after the Colossus of Nero possible destruction in 443 AD. He would have seen the giant statue's huge and tempting bronze metal remains.

It is rather amusing how, when the aforementioned Pope is mentioned in regard to the colossus, it is often said he ordered the Colossus of Nero melted to "make cannons" for the Castel St. Angelo. Of course, such a statement is incorrect simply because cannons were not invented until about 800 years later, in the 15th century. Neverthless, it is a possibility the Pope ordered the statue melted - but, once again, that is just speculation.

Vespasian and his son Titus ruled together
Both images are Public Domain, modified by me

To build a giant colossus statue, ancient Roman and Greek artists required at least 10 years to finish the job because of the enormous amount of work and resources needed. And since the Colossus of Nero was begun around 64 AD, it is very doubtful the statue was completed just a few years later in 68 AD, the year emperor Nero died.

We know it took ten or more years to complete an ancient colossus because of historical records. For example, Zenodorus, who made the Colossus of Nero, had just previously built another colossus of the god Mercury in Roman Gaul, and it took him ten years, for which he was paid 40 Million sesterces.

Two more classic examples are the Colossus of Rhodes, which took 12 years to complete, and the Colossus of Zeus, which took ten years.

Many online sources say work began on the Colossus of Nero between 64 and 68 AD. Consequently, if we choose a begin date, for example, of 65 AD, then the Colossus of Nero, took ten years to complete in 75 AD - a date which is recorded by both Roman historian Cassius Dio, and early Christian chroniclers, that the Colossus of Nero statue was completed ("set up") in 75 AD, seven years after emperor Nero died, as quoted below:

In the sixth consul­ship of Vespasian and the fourth of Titus (his son), the precinct of Pax (Temple of Peace) was dedicated and the "Colossus" was set up on the Sacred Way (via Sacra).

This statue is said to have been one hundred feet in height and to have borne the features of Nero, according to some, or those of Titus, according to others.

Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 65, Chap. 15, Sec. 1

Emperor Vespasian's sixth consulship began in 75 AD, the same year he opened the Forum of Vespasian (Temple of Peace). This information is very important in understanding how the face of the colossus changed. Since the statue was not fully assembled and presented to the public until 75 AD, it means the head likely was lying around for a few years before being attached to the rest of the statue, and it may have indeed looked like Nero. I do not know why the date of 68 AD is given as the completion date for the Colossus of Nero, when ancient sources tell us otherwise.

Sol (Indiges), Nero, and Sol Invictus
1st Image: CC-BY-4.0 - others: Public Domain

It is quite ironic how the colossus is named after Nero today because, for 400 years or more, the statue always was the Colossus Solis, except for a year or two during the reign of Commodus, when the statue became the Colossus of Hercules ("Colossus Herculis"). And, soon after Commodus died, the colossus was restored to representing the Roman god Sol, whose name changed to Sol Invictus, as described below.

Starting around the middle of the second century, Romans began using the term Sol Invictus ("unconquered Sun") instead of Sol for the same Roman god; and, under Roman emperor Aurelian, the use of Sol Invictus became a common term when worship of that diety became an empire-wide state cult. Nevertheless, it is very unlikely the colossus' official name changed to the Colossus of Sol Invictus ("Colossus Solis Invicti"), simply because both Sol and Sol Invictus were the same god, and Colossus Solis had already been the name for so long.

But what did the average person living in ancient Rome call the statue? Well, in my opinion, the average Roman very likely used the colloquial Latin word "Colossus" ("The gigantic one") because, just like today, Roman people liked to use shorthand expressions. And that term "Colossus" stuck in the Roman consciousness and became permanent; so much so that the nearby Flavain Amphitheatre became the Colosseum.

NERO HAS THE LAST LAUGH

Amazingly, despite dying seven years before the Colossus of Nero was completed, and despite the decree of "Damnatio Memoraie" that was supposed to erase on all memory of him, the colossus is named after the infamous emperor Nero today

Image courtesy of Haroun Binous

And now comes the question of why the Colossus of Nero is still called by that title. There are three possible reasons why the Colossus of Nero is known by that title in the 21st century:

Recently, I was asked if the colossus was ever known as the Colossus of Zenodurus, the artist who made the statue. That is a valid question because, for example, the Eiffel Tower is named for the architect who made it. Nevertheless, the answer to the question is a definte "no," because the Romans named their monuments and statues after the emperors who commissioned them, and not the artists who made them, a system often used still by modern historians when naming Roman monuments.

It is rather surprising how a massive structure like the Colossus of Nero could vanish without leaving any traces at all for us to study in the 21st century. As a consequence, though it would be marvellous to see an actual piece of bronze from the colossus someday, that will probably never happen, despite the many tonnes of bronze, iron, concrete and bricks it contained.

Unfortunately, when the podium base that supported the Colossus of Nero was rediscovered in 1828 by Italian archaeologist Antonio Nibby, no remains of the immense statue were found in the area at that time, including other excavations over the last two centuries. It would seem that whoever pillaged that colossus 1,500 years ago did a very thorough job 1,500 years ago.

The Colossus of Nero was not alone in how it completely vanished from history without a trace, as I will show by looking at two other famous colossal statues that also vanished. Afterwards, I will then showcase two other massive statues that partially survived, leaving behind huge fragments that were copied to create a huge and amazing full-sized replica in the heart of Rome, which I had the great pleasure to view in 2025.

BOTH THE COLOSSUS OF ZEUS AND OF RHODES VANISHED FROM HISTORY

Statue of Zeus

The fate of the Colossus of Nero mirrors that of two other ancient colossal statues that have vanished from history: the huge Statue of Zeus (shown at left) that sat in a temple of the same name, and the Colossus of Rhodes (below, right) that stood beside a harbour.

The Colossus of Zeus, showing that ancient god sitting on a throne inside the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, Greece lasted over 800 years before it was destroyed by fire in the fifth century. Its body was made of ivory plates and the clothing, beard, and hair were made of gold with inlaid jewels.

Colossus of Rhodes

Afterwards, the broken colossus became an ancient tourist site before it was pillaged by invaders in 654 AD. Unfortunately, nothing remains of those two statues, but at least we do know how and when they were destroyed.

Just like those two statues, the Colossus of Nero also was destroyed and vanished from this world. However, unlike the other two statues, we do not know how, exactly, the Colossus of Nero was destroyed, or why not even a trace of it exists today. We also do not know when it was destroyed.

Consequently, historians have to make calculated guesses about the destruction of the Colossus of Nero, and there is a general concensus it happened at some point in the fifth century. There is also a consensus the colossus was destroyed either by earthquakes or barbarians, but there may have been other causes, which I will explore.

Nobody really knows the answers to what happened to the Colossus of Nero, but, as mentioned earlier, we do have an idea how long it survived, and how it was destroyed, as I will explain by exploring varous concepts below:

TWO COLOSSUS STATUES THAT DID NOT COMPLETELY VANISH

Two Roman colossus-sized statues that partially exist today, meaning they have been reduced to several large fragments, are two Colossus of Constantine statues made during the reign of that emperor, one made from bronze, the other made from marble and gilded bronze attached to a wood and brick core, as shown below. It is unfortunate the Colossus of Nero did not leave such fragments behind to tell us how it really looked.

Marble Colossus of Constantine (left) and bronze Colossus of Constantine fragments in Capitoline Musem

The left photo shows only four of the nine marble fragments. To see all the fragments, this photo shows all nine identified with labels. And there is a video showing those fragments being used to reconstruct the colossus. The bronze fragments (right photo) are from a colossus originally located in the Lateran Palace, current site of St. John Lateran, highest ranking of all four Papal basilicas built by Constantine in 324 AD. There is a chance the bronze face may be that of Constantius II, son of Constantine I. Starting in the 1320s, these bronze pieces were on display in a plaza near the basilica. Constantine the Great is always shown with such large and unrealistic upward-gazing eyes because ancient artists wanted to portray the emperor as a powerful, other-worldly and divine personage.

Both photos from my 2025 visit to Capitoline Museum in the Campidoglio

The colossus fragments seen in both photos are quite large, and the marble ones were copied to become part of a recreated Colossus of Constantine I visited in 2025 in the outside Villa Cafferilli, Capitoline Hill. The original sitting colossus was located in the Basilica of Maxtentius in the Roman Forum, and it is known as an "acrolithic" colossus because it has a core made of wood and brick covered with gilded bronze and marble arms, legs, head, and torso. In another photo I show my foot placed close to the colossus foot, to give you a better idea of the size. I estimate the marble foot is at least ten times larger than my own.

My foot compared to marble foot of Colossus of Constantine recreation in Villa Cafferilli

To see the 1:1 full-scale replica of the Colossus of Constantine that sat in the Basilica of Maxtentius in the Roman Forum, head to the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio) located behind the huge white Altare della Patria memorial in the heart of Rome - see the map guide below and follow the red arrows. Note: There is no cost in 2026 to see the colossus replica.

Both photos from my 2025 visit to Capitoline Hill, Rome

Looking at the left photo, you can see the marble colossus fragments seen in the previous photos at work: the hand holding the staff, the head, a knee cap, and the upper left arm. The gilded bronze forming the clothing was pillaged in late antiquity, probably sometime in the sixth century. Luckily, some of the marble sections survived and, thanks to Michelangelo, they were moved to a safe place inm the 1500s. The colossus foot is easily ten times larger than mine, and I also estimate the sitting statue must have been about 11 or 12 metres (40ft) high, which is much less than half the height of the Colossus of Nero that was much larger in scale.

MAP GUIDE SHOWING LOCATION OF COLOSSUS OF CONSTANTINE RECREATION ON CAPITOLINE HILL

Finding the Constantine colossus recreation is pretty straight forward, as shown on map above. The original colossus marble fragments (seen earlier in photos) are displayed in the Capitoline Musem (right side) with the big inner courtyard marked with a large white "X". To visit those museums you can buy a ticket from the onsite ticket office (Palazzo dei Conservatori Museum building on right side with "X" courtyard on map). You can also buy tickets online. Cost in 2026 for one ticket is 14.50 Euros.

The sack of Rome in 455 AD by Vandals
Karl Pavlovich Bryullov 1830s - Public Domain

For 400 years or more, the Colossus of Nero dominated Rome's skyline - a golden giant that witnessed the rise and fall of eighty emperors, surviving through victory and crisis in the Roman empire. And during that long period the colossus was reshaped several times to suit the needs of certain emperors.

But at some point during the chaos of the fifth century - perhaps toppled by earthquakes or barbarians, perhaps dismantled by an empire that could no longer maintain a Colossus of Nero, or even possibly destroyed for being an unwanted pagan symbol - the colossus simply vanished. Unfortunately, no ancient writings that recorded its fall have survived. Did anyone mourn the loss of Colossus of Nero, or were events so chaotic and desperate that people no longer cared.

Pages copied from the original Chronography of 354 AD which no longer exists. The ancient document had to be recopied several times over the last 1,700 years due to deteroriation over time
These three Public Domain images are from Wikimedia

By the fourth century of the Roman empire, books (called a codex) were more commonly found, along with traditional scrolls. And, by the sixth century, the codex had all but replaced scrolls as the main means of recording writing, especially for literature.

Within a very special codex book called the Chronography of 354 AD, made up of numerous documents that have survived almost 1,700 years, one important sentence mentions the Colossus of Nero when listing all the buildings and structures found in the area of the forums and Colosseum.

That document is titled Part 14, Notice of the 14 regions of the city", and the area being looked at is "Region IV Temple of Peace" area of Rome.

Below is the exact sentence from the page that mentions the Colossus of Nero. And, if you click on the "Part 14" link beneath the quote, you can see the actual page yourself. Note that the English translation is provided on the far right side. Also, to quickly find that exact sentence about the colossus, just search for the word "colossum" in the long document:

COLOSSUM ALTUM PEDES CII S. HABET IN CAPITE RADIA VII SINGULA PEDUM XXII S.

Chronography of 354AD - Part 14 (search: colossum)

And below is the English translation:

The colossal statue, 102 feet high, has 7 rays on its head, each measuring 22 feet

Those twelve Latin words, above, quoted from the ancient Chronography of 354 AD, provide us with some very good information about the Colossus of Nero in the mid-fourth century:

But how much longer after 354 AD did the Colossus of Nero exist?

It is very reasonable to assume the colossus continued standing for another 56 to 100 years - perhaps a bit longer. It is important to understand that, although last mentioned in written sources in 354 AD, the Colossus of Nero most likely met its end during the tumultuous fifth century, whether toppled by the earthquake of 443 AD or destroyed during the sacks of Rome in 410 or 455 AD.

By the fifth century, the Western Roman Empire became unstable and increasingly unable to protect itself. Starting with the brief 3-day sack of Rome in 410 AD, barbarians began to loot and damage the city. Could the barbarians have toppled the statue?

Yes, but if that were the case, it almost certainly would have happened during the very brutal and two-week long sack of 455 AD. However, that date is over twenty years after the destructive earthquake of 433 AD, which begs the question: was the Colossus of Nero even still standing when Rome was sacked in 455 AD? As you can see, there are no straight answers because they are no precise ancient records telling us what the fate of the colossus was.

Bede the Venerable

When you read that quote, it may seem like the Colossus of Nero still existed while Bede the Venerable was alive during the seventh and eight centuries. In the quote, he used the word "stands" instead of "stood", implying the colossus still "stood" during his lifetime, two centuries after the fall of Rome and the western Roman world in 476 AD.

But let us examine what he wrote carefully: Bede wrote that as long as the colossus stood, Rome and the Roman world would also stand - but Rome and the Roman world had already fallen almost 200 years before he was born in 672 AD, something a historian and scholar like him would have surely known. Therefore, what he wrote about the Colossus of Nero is poetic licence, and symbolic, and should not be used to mean the colossus actually still existed beyond the fifth century. Also, it is thought Bede was just retelling an old prophesy about the colossus.

My interpretation of Bede's famous statement is he is simply stating what actually happened in history: the Colossus of Nero fell, and then aferwards Rome fell, and with the fall of Roman civilization, the whole world would fall someday.

However, what is very interesting is how Bede the Venerable likely never wrote those famous lines about the colossus - it has all been a misunderstanding. There is definitely something rather deflating when we find out a compelling historical connection turns out to be a myth, especially one that feels so poetically appropriate such as the concept of a great English historian and scholar somehow foreseeing the fate of Rome through its monuments. If you wish to know more about why Bede the Venerable likely never wrote about the colossus falling, Please click this link.

Colossus of Rhodes straddling the harbour entrance of the city

Created three centuries earlier, The Colossus of Rhodes and its fate mirrors the Colossus of Nero in many ways. Current opinion is the Colossus of Rhodes did not actually straddle the harbour entrance - it stood on a nearby platform instead.

Louis de Caullery - 1620 - Public Domain - modified for clarity

Just like the Colossus of Nero, the Colossus of Rhodes stood 30 metres or more high (100ft), was made of outer bronze plates supported by an iron framework connected to a masonry core, symbolized the god of the Sun, and took over ten years to construct. Also similar is how nothing remains of the giant statue after it toppled to the ground during a severe earthquake in 280 BC, just 54 years after it was completed.

Apparently, after the earthquake hit the harbour where the Colossus of Rhodes was located, the huge statue broke off at the knees, causing the rest of the enormous statue to crash to the ground where it then lay for eight centuries until it vanished without a trace. During those many centuries while the enormous broken statue lay on the ground it became a famous tourist site where people came to marvel at the giant remains.

The Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, actually saw the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes in person, and he wrote about what he saw, as quoted below. (NOTE: Because Pliny visited the statue remains in 77 AD, around 300 years after the statue fell in 226 BC, he is inaccurate about the statue standing for 66 years - it was 54 to 56 years).

This statue was 105 ft. high; and, 66 years after its erection, was overthrown by an earthquake, but even lying on the ground it is a marvel. Few people can make their arms meet round the thumb of the figure, and the fingers are larger than most statues ...

Pliny the Elder - Natural History, Book 34, Chap. 18, Sec. 41

Notice how Pliny emphasizes how huge the colossus' thumb and fingers were, which indicates how large parts of the Colossus of Nero must have been since both statues were about the same height. And, despite many similarities, there were also some differences between the two giant statues, as specified below:

THE ORACLE OF DELPHI AND THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES

The Oracle of Delphi sitting on her high bronze tripod chair

In both images the oracle sits on a high bronze tripod (3 legs) chair. The first image shows the "sacred fissure" (volanic crack) below the chair through which sweet-smelling and intoxicating gases (ethylene, ethane, and methane) enterd the chamber, sending her into a trance, during which she allegedly communed with the god Apollo and made predictions. It is said the Oracle of Delphi's predictions were quite vague, ambiguous and rather poetic, providing more of a riddle and advice that could be interpreted many ways. The Oracle's chamber (the "Adyton") was housed in the Temple of Apollo located in the city of Delphi, central Greece, where the oracles made predictions for approximately 1,200 years (800 BC to 383 AD).

L Image: John Collier 1891 Public Domain - R Image: Ancient Greek CC-BY-SA-03

After the Colossus of Rhodes toppled to the ground, the people of Rhodes consulted the Oracle of Delpi (also known as the Phythia) for advice about whether or not they should rebuild the statue. At that time, that Oracle was still active and widely consulted in the Greek world. Also, rebuilding the colossus was a real possibility because the Pharoah of Egypt, Ptolemy III (who was actually Greek), offered to pay to rebuild the colossus because Greek-controlled Egypt was an ally of the Greek Island of Rhodes that together controlled much trade in the Aegean sea.

The Oracle of Delphi told the people of Rhodes the colossus was destroyed by earthquakes because the god Helios (Sun god) had been offended, and thus rebuilding the statue was forbidden, and the broken staute pieces should be left alone. And so the colossus fragments lay on the ground for approximately 880 years until the year 653 AD. Starting that year, the huge bronze pieces of the Colossus of Rhodes were completely pillaged over two years by Arab forces ruled by Caliph Muawiyah I. It is said the bronze remains were broken into smaller sections and sold for scrap, and, there was so much bronze, 900 camels were required to transport all that metal to market.

COLOSSAL DISPARITIES: THE ENDURING RUINS OF THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES VERSUS THE SWIFT DISAPPEARANCE OF THE COLOSSUS OF NERO

Because there is a high chance the Colossus of Nero was destroyed (or severely damaged) by earthquakes, just like the Colossus of Rhodes, it either completely fell to the ground, or partially collapsed, leaving a portion of the statue standing, which later had to be dismantled. However, unlike the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes which were declared not to be disturbed by a great oracle, the remains of the Colossus of Nero were likely recycled very quickly given the high demand for bronze and other metals in the late Roman Empire and early Middle Ages.

Furthermore, because Roman civilization had become mostly Christian, not many tears were shed over the destruction of a giant statue of a Roman pagan god in the heart of Rome. Of course, however, for some Roman historians and others who treasured their ancient Roman heritage, the destruction of the Colossus of Nero would have been a sad event and another reminder of their civilization's collapse.

And though it seems like all the bronze from the Colossus of Nero has vanished, nevertheless a piece of the colussus may yet still surface. Perhaps such a bronze fragment might be discovered in a private collection or an undiscovered ground excavation or even as an uncatalogued piece stored in some museum - and so there is always hope. A great example of such an event is the incredible story of how a long-lost bust of Roman General Pompey the Great's grandson was recently discovered in a Texas goodwill shop, so you never know.

For now, it appears that nothing remains of the actual statue known as the Colossus of Nero - however, on a positive note, we absolutely do know that a part of the lower pedestal base structure that supported the Colossus of Nero statue did survive, which I will explore in the next section.

Colosseum area ground level in 1750 and 2025

You can see how much higher the ground level surrounding the Colosseum was three centuries ago, which is why the Colossus of Nero's pedestal was buried for so long. Today, the ground level is at the original Roman level, the result of much excavating since the 1870s.

First image by G.P. Pannini (1750) - Second image is Google Earth

As shown in the images above, before excavations began in the early 1800s, the ground level around the Colosseum was up to 12 metres higher (40ft) due to all the sediments and rubble that piled up over 1,200 years. And that is why the huge pedestal (also known as a base or podium) that supported the Colossus of Nero remained hidden for so many centuries.

However, thanks to much digging and hard work over the last 150 years, when you visit the Colosseum area today, the ground you are walking on is at the same level as during Roman times. In fact, you can see actually see some of the original travertine pavement stones that surrounded the Colosseum since the day it was opened in 80 AD, as seen in the photo below of an outside area along the east side of that ancient arena.

Original travertine pavement slabs that surround the Colosseum

This photo shows not only ancient travertine pavement slabs Romans walked on but also two tall "cippi" stones with small holes in them where ropes were attached to control and guide the ancient Roman crowds entering the Colosseum. Only five cippi have survived on the east side of the Colosseum, but it has been estimated there may have been 80 to 160 of them located all around the huge ancient arena and its 80 entrances that accommodated 50,000 visitors every day.

From my 2025 trip to Rome

Starting in 1874, under the guidance of Pietro Rosa, and completed in 1933, all the sediment and rubble that built up over 1,200 years was removed from the area surrounding the Colosseum. This large-scale excavation work began in 1874 because the government of a newly united Italy wanted to restore and reclaim the Colosseum and the surrounding area as a monument to Italy's glorious past.

What is most interesting, is how, starting from the mid 1700s and onwards, there were occasional attempts at excavating parts of the Colosseum area, and that is when the pedestal of the Colossus of Nero was discovered by archaeologist and topographer Antonio Nibby in 1828. But the discovery of the pedestal was not accidental; it was intentional because Mr. Nibby used his knowledge of Roman writings and the topography of Rome to correctly guess where the pedestal was located.

Colossus of Nero pedestal ruins in 1929, facing the Temple of Venus and Roma
Wellcome Images - CC-BY-4.0

And what Mr. Nibby discovered was a damaged rectangular concrete core measuring 17.6 by 14.7 metres (58 x 48ft) long and wide, and 2.5 metres (8ft) high, with all four sides covered with layers of bricks (shown in the 1929 photo above). Of course, all the marble slabs that covered the surfaces of the pedestal had vanished long before. Those pedestal ruins remained viewable for 108 years until 1936.

Unfortunately, in the early 1930s, the government of Italian leader Benito Mussolini decided the pedestal (as well as the nearby Meta Sudans fountain ruins) created unacceptable obstructions in their plans for a wide and majestic circular avenue beside the Colosseum - and so it was decided to level these ancient structures down to ground level, mostly destroying them.

Consequently, in 1936 the pedestal was thus mostly destroyed to make way for the Via dell'Impero (Avenue of the Emperors), known today as the Via dei Fori Imperiali (Avenue of the Imperial Forums).

Today, that part of the avenue that passed through the pedestal's location is now gone; in fact, the whole area along the west side of the Colosseum is now an archaeological park containing the Arch of Constantine, the Meta Sudans fountain ruins, the Temple of Venus and Roma, and the Colossus of Nero Pedestal that is now marked by a rectangle of new bricks and trees. The photo below shows the Colossus of Nero pedestal a few years before it was mostly destroyed.

The Colossus of Nero pedestal ruins in 1933, three years before it was removed. This pedestal was constructed around 128 AD by Emperor Hadrian to support the statue after it was moved by elephants from Nero's Golden Palace. By 1933, the pedestal ruins you see in the photo were 1,800 years old. You can see two large white boulders in front of the pedestal - were they perhaps part of the marble that covered it - I am not sure. This image is my colourized version (2025) with improved resolution - click here to see the original photo. I do not know who took the original black & white photo that was sent to me by a reader.

If you look carefully at the photo above taken in 1933, you can see thin layers of bricks that covered the inner concrete core of the pedestal of the Colossus of Nero. During Roman times, not only was the pedestal structure much higher, but those brick-faced surfaces were covered with thin marble slabs (revetments or veneers) to give the huge pedestal a splendid and noble appearance.

Click here to see a detailed view of the north side of the pedestal ruins in the 1930s. And someone took a close-up photo of that same northern pedestal wall and you can see the wall was almost 30 brick levels high before it was demolished.

WERE ANY PIECES OF THE COLOSSUS OF NERO STATUE DISCOVERED DURING EXCAVATIONS OF THE PEDESTAL?

These ancient bronze fragments lay in the ground for many centuries

If pieces of the original gilded bronze that formed the outer shell of the Colossus of Nero had been discovered, they would have looked like the bronze pieces shown in the photo above.

Credit: J. Watters - Creative Commons ShareAlike 4

Despite careful excavations of the area where the Colossus of Nero's pedestal was located in 1928 by Antonio Nibby and in 1986 by Claudia Lega, not a single trace was found of the materials used to create the colossal statue: the concrete, masonary, iron supports, or gilded bronze that covered the whole statue. It would appear that 1,500 years of thorough pillaging of the Colosseum area has removed every small piece of bronze that might have become lodged in the ground. A recent excavation in Britain uncovered gilded bronze fragments, the exact kind we would expect to see if a tiny part of the colossus had survived into the 21st century, as shown in the photo above.

THE COLOSSUS OF NERO PEDESTAL IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Although nothing remains, unfortunatley, of the huge bronze Colossus of Nero statue in the 21st century, at least a small part of the pedestal foundation did survive, despite the destruction in 1936. The reason it survived is because only the upper brick-faced masonry and concrete section was destroyed, but the lower shallow foundation located deeper in the ground below street level survived - and its location has been permanently marked for tourists as seen in the photo above I took in 2025. There is a white stone plaque along the front wall, and you can see a close-up of that plaque by clicking or touching the photo.

This marker came about after the pedestal was re-excavated in 1986. To create the marker, a rectangular two-step brick structure was placed over the pedestal's exact location. This marker also traces the exact dimensions of the Colossus of Nero's pedestal, and trees have been placed inside the structure. Every day, thousands of tourists sit on those low walls or "steps." Whenever I go to Rome and sit there, I always wonder how many visitors sitting beside me actually realize they are sitting on the spot where a gigantic bronze statue stood for hundreds of years. The next photo taken from the air shows the pedestal marker location in relation to the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine.

Location of Colossus of Nero pedestal base in 2025
Image made using Google Earth and my labels

Notice how the width and length of the podium do not form a perfect square shape, instead they form a rectangle measuring 58 ft by 48 feet (17.6 x 14.75 metres). Notice also how close the Colossus of Nero was to the Colosseum. Especially interesting are the circular foundation ruins of the Meta Sudans fountain because the surviving pedestal foundation probably looks like that - very shallow but instead rectangular and now covered by the marker above that now protects them.

It would be wondeful if the stone marker bricks seen in the photos above really are part of the ancient pedestal that supported the Colossus of Nero, but they definitely are not. The parts of the pedestral that survived the 1936 destruction are now buried and protected, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. Just imagine the wear and tear on those ancient stones if thousands of people sat on them every day.

It is interesting how the video shows the Colossus of Nero as a blend of the gem stone and gold coin images seen earlier. Although the video's colossus is nude, one hand is not grasping a rudder atop a globe, and the other arm is not resting on a pillar.

Furthermore, the video also shows the colossus with a radiant crown which most scholars believe was added to the statue's head only after Nero died, at which point emperor Vespasian ordered the statue transformed into a representation of the Roman Sun god Sol to obliterate any reference to Nero.

The Colossus of Nero seen from inside the Colosseum

By the year 300, the colossus is looking worn, the gilded bronze gold surface is streaked, and the huge statue is definitely showing its age. An interesting choice by the artist is how they show a support pillar also covered with gilded bronze, which was probably done for aesthetic reasons. My own research shows the support pillar was probably a masonry load-bearing structure, designed to support enormous weight while blending in with the surrounding architecture of the area. It was likely made from brick-faced concerete covered with marble veneer, which would also match the pedestal. However, since the pillar is long gone, who knows exactly? Perhaps the Faber-Courtial company is correct :)

Licensed from © Faber-Courtial - suggested by Martin Conde

Our last look at the Colossus of Nero shows what the giant statue looked like from an upper floor of the Colosseum. What a great image created by Faber-Courtial in Germany. Notice the sculptures that stood within each "window" of the Colosseum, all of which vanished long ago.

It is fascinating to think how countless Romans coursing through the Colosseum over several centuries would have seen the Colossus of Nero through the large window openings, just like in the image. And to those Romans the huge colossus was proabably just background scenery, something they just took for granted. And they also likely thought the Colossus of Nero would last forever due to its size and importance - until it was gone. Even in our own age, huge iconic structures have vanished, such as the Crystal Palace (1936) in London, or the World Trade Center (2001) and Penn Station (1963)) in New York City, or the huge Buddha Statues of Bamiyan (2016) in Afghanistan.

Every time I go to Rome, I stand on the Colosseum's highest floor and I look through one of the many openings towards the ruins of the Temple of Venus and Roman. I try to imagine the colossus still standing there, huge and golden and gleaming under the Sun - how marvelous it must have been. So if you ever go to Rome, and all visitors go to the Colosseum, try to remember the enormous golden statue that gave the Colosseum its name.

Also, just outside the Colosseum, you can sit on the marker stones that outline the pedestal that supported the colossus. Just sit and try to imagine how Rome once looked so long ago. Thank you for reading all this, and if you have any comments, please send me an email. I always enjoy receiving feedback from readers, and the only emails I send back are replies to you - I respect people's privacy and the right not to be bothered by nuisance emails :)