An island of southeast Greece in the Aegean Sea off southwest Turkey. It is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands and was colonized by Dorians from Argos before 1000 B.C. and strongly influenced by the Minoan culture of Crete. The ancient city of Rhodes, on the northeast end of the island near the present-day city of Rhodes, was founded c. 408 B.C. Its harbor was the site of the Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue erected 292-280 B.C. that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The modern city has a population of 55,600.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
