Athens to London

What are the Parthenon Marbles?

The Parthenon Marbles are a collection of Classical Greek sculptures that were originally a part of the Temple of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens.

 Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin received a controversial permit from the Ottoman Empire to remove the marbles; the Ottomans were occupying Greece as invaders at the time. Elgin removed many pieces from 1801 to 1812. After coming close to bankruptcy, Elgin sold the marbles to the British Government. The Marbles are now on display at the British Museum in London. Greece has been trying to get the British to return the Marbles ever since they secured their independence as a modern nation in 1824.

The British Argument:

The supporters of the British argue that without Elgin taking the Marbles, there probably wouldn't be any sculptures around today, due to all of the wars and looting that took place in Athens. They argue that the Britsh have preserved and protected the Marbles. The supporters argue that The British Museum has a collection of World History on display, and the Marbles are a significant part of that history. They say that by leaving the pieces in London, more people from around the world are able to appreciate and learn about the history of the Marbles. The British Museum claims they have about 30 percent of the Marbles on display, Athens has about 30 percent, and many others are on display at the Vatican in Rome and the Louvre Museum in Paris, as well as many others around the world. In total, only about 65 percent of the original Marbles survive today. 

The Greek Argument:

Greece began restoring the Acropolis Museum in 1975 in order to hopefully one day have all of the remaing sculptures returned and displayed in Athens. Many other museums--in Sweden, Germany, the United States and the Vatican--have already returned items to Greece, and they hope that Britain will follow suit. They argue that the Marbles in the Britsh Museum have suffered damage due to London pollution, and the museum's attempts to clean them have cause irreparable damage. The Greek also question the legality of Elgin's removal of the Marbles, since a Greek ruler never gave the British permission to remove the Marbles. Rather, only the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire did, who was an invader of Greece. The Greek people feel as if a piece of their cultural heritage has been stolen from them

Where do you stand?

So, what side of the debate do you fall on? Leave your thoughts and opinions below in the comment section.