Sculptures, Greece Has Contested This, and Its Position Has

The document argues that the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Athens for three key reasons: 1. The Parthenon and Elgin Marbles are an integral part of Greek cultural heritage, having been built by ancient Greeks to represent their culture. Having the marbles in Greece would allow visitors to better experience and understand Greek history and civilization. 2. Lord Elgin is argued to have unlawfully removed the marbles from the Parthenon in Athens despite his permit from the ruling Ottomans only allowing sketches and molds to be made. Many argue his actions constituted looting and cultural vandalism. 3. International law has evolved to support a nation's right to reclaim cult

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Sculptures, Greece Has Contested This, and Its Position Has

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Rika Guevarra

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Why should the Elgin Marbles be returned to Athens to be displayed in the New

Acropolis Museum?

History
The Parthenon is one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.
o Built nearly 2,500 years ago as a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess
Athena, it was for a thousand years the church of the Virgin Mary of the
Athenians, then a mosque, and finally an archaeological ruin.
It was known that the best models for Classical architecture were in Athens
and not in Rome
o Elgin's plan was to visit the ancient Greek capital with a few artists who
would sketch and do paintings of the monuments, statues and buildings,
make molds and bring these back to England.
o This was a time when educated people believed that Ancient Greek Art
and Architecture was the highest expression of civilization and by
bringing these sketches and copies back to England they could be used as
a model for inspiration to the British architects and artists.
By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.
o In 1801, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin obtained a permit from the
Sublime Porte, which then ruled Greece. From 1801 to 1812, Elgin's
agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the
Parthenon, as well as sculptures from the Propylaea and Erechtheum.
o The Marbles were transported by sea to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition
of the collection was supported by some, while others, such as Lord
Byron, likened Elgin's actions to vandalism or looting.
WHY DIDNT ANYONE STOP ELGINS AGENTS?!?!
This can be a legitimate arguments for their side. Not
stopping them from taking the marbles = consent on our
part for the Britains to take the marbles.
British claims are based on Elgins purchase of the
sculptures, Greece has contested this, and its position has
many supporters.
The Parthenon frieze by Phidias, a caryatid, and a column from the Erechtheum
were sold to the British government in 1816 and are now on view in the British
Museum, in a gallery donated by Lord Duveen.
Since then, the Greek government has demanded the return of the marbles.

1. It is a clear expression of Greek culture

a. Built by the Greeks for the world to enjoy IN GREECE.
i. Having the Elgin marbles stored in Greece will allow visitors to
get a better understanding of Greek culture
b. Greeks built the Parthenon
i. The Parthenon was built of local marble from Mount Pendeli
ii. Perikles championed construction of the Pantheon
iii. Ikitinos and Kallikrates were the architects
iv. Phidias was the sculptor of the statue of Athena
c. Lord Elgin was said to be passionate about ancient Greek art, which is
why he took it and transported it back to Britain
i. Nowadays, a lot of people are passionate about Greek culture. For
this reason, they visit Greece and enjoy all types of artifacts and
monuments, The Parthenon being one of them. Having the Elgin
Marbles there would be the key to a complete experience.
d. It was known that the best models for Classical architecture were in
Athens and not in Rome, and Elgin's plan was to visit the ancient Greek
capital with a few artists who would sketch and do paintings of the
monuments, statues and buildings, make molds and bring these back to
England.
2. It was unrightfully taken by Lord Elgin
a. The British Museum says he acted with the full knowledge and permission
of the Ottoman authorities, removed about half of the remaining sculptures
from the fallen ruins and from the building itself.
i. BUT although he had a firman, QCs specialised in cultural
restitution say Elgin clearly exceeded the authority (or firman) he
was given when he ordered the treasures to be stripped from the
monument
b. The term Elginism has been coined as an act of cultural vandilism
i. Lord Elgin illegally transported the Parthenon Marbles from
Greece to London between 1801 and 1805.
c. Many artefacts are destroyed when they are torn out of their cultural &
spatial context. Due to this, scholars are unable to retrieve valuable
historical information because they can only deal with fragmentary
remains instead of a complete unified object.
d. The lawyers, including the human rights expert Amal Clooney, insist that
Greece could mount a strong case to win the marbles back.
e. We consider that international law has evolved to a position which
recognises, as part of the sovereignty of a state, its right to reclaim cultural
property of great historical significance which has been wrongly taken in
the past a rule that would entitle Greece to recover and reunite the
Parthenon sculptures.