The 226 BC Earthquake That Knocked Down the Colossus of Rhodes and Triggered the First Documented International Disaster Relief Effort
An earthquake struck Rhodes in approximately 226 BC, knocking down the Colossus, damaging substantial portions of the city walls, and producing widespread Aegean damage. The Hellenistic kings of Egypt, Macedon, Syria, and Pergamon all sent substantial financial and material aid — the first known case of coordinated international disaster diplomacy.
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