Why the controversy? The sculptures are the subject of one of the longest cultural rows in Europe. The Greeks have demanded that they be returned to their homeland. Greece maintains they were taken illegally during the country’s Turkish occupation and should be returned for display in Athens.
Why are the Parthenon Marbles controversial?
Large sections of the Parthenon frieze, an extraordinary series of relief sculptures depicting a mysterious procession of chariots, animals and people, numbered among the loot. Among critics, the removal of the so-called Elgin Marbles has long been described as an egregious act of imperial plunder.
What is the controversy surrounding the Parthenon sculptures?
The Legal Claims
For the Parthenon sculptures, the main substantive issues are (1) whether Lord Elgin had the permission of the Ottoman government to remove the sculptures from the Parthenon and to ship them to England, and (2) whether any international law exists that would require the sculptures to be turned over.
Did Lord Elgin have permission to take the marbles?
According to the British Museum, Elgin was granted a firman (letter of instruction) granting him permission to take away the pieces…“as a personal gesture after he encouraged the British forces in their fight to drive the French out of Egypt, which was then an Ottoman possession”.
Why the Elgin Marbles should not be returned?
Greece, foundation of Western civilization, member of the European Union, is one of us, not one of them.” In other words, returning the Elgin Marbles today would only reinforce the colonial principle that museums are places where “Western” powers display the cultural treasures of the “global south.” And that principle
Why are the Elgin Marbles controversial?
Why the controversy? The sculptures are the subject of one of the longest cultural rows in Europe. The Greeks have demanded that they be returned to their homeland. Greece maintains they were taken illegally during the country’s Turkish occupation and should be returned for display in Athens.
What is the controversy over the Parthenon Elgin Marbles?
The Elgin Marbles have been controversial for over 200 years, with the Acropolis Museum in Athens – which houses the remaining sculptures – keeping a space empty for them amongst its current display. Greece considers the Elgin Marbles stolen goods and has frequently demanded that they’re returned.
What do the Elgin Marbles represent?
The sculptures on the east pediment tell the tale of the birth of the goddess Athena, while those on the west depict a battle between Athena and the god Poseidon to determine who would be the patron deity of Athens.
How were the Elgin marbles removed from the Parthenon?
The report said that the document in the appendix was an accurate translation, in English, of an Ottoman firman dated July 1801. In Elgin’s view it amounted to an Ottoman authorisation to remove the marbles. The committee was told that the original document was given to Ottoman officials in Athens in 1801.
Did Lord Elgin save the Parthenon marbles or deface a monument?
The Parthenon had fallen to ruin. Half the marbles were destroyed by neglect and war. Then, a British ambassador, Lord Elgin, made an agreement with Ottoman authorities who were in control of Athens at the time to remove some of statues and friezes. He took about half of the remaining sculptures.
Why did Lord Elgin steal the marbles?
On his return to England, Elgin told a Parliamentary inquest that a desire to protect what was left of the treasure was part of his motivation in taking them.
Who legally owns the Elgin marbles?
of the British Museum
The excavation bankrupted Elgin. Desperate and going through a divorce, in 1816, he sold his precious loot to the British government for £350,000. A hearing was held, which found that the marbles were legally acquired. The collection was vested in the trustees of the British Museum in perpetuity under British law.
Why did Elgin steal marbles?
It is true that Lord Elgin told a parliamentary committee that he took the marbles from the Parthenon to rescue them and to improve aesthetic tastes in England. But Elgin made these statements in 1816, whereas he began taking the marbles in 1801.
What is the British Museum’s argument for keeping the marbles?
The British Museum argues that the sculptures in their collection should remain in London because there’s nowhere to house them in Greece and that the Greek authorities can’t look after them.
Would the Elgin Marbles have survived?
In 1687, during the Last Crusade, it was a munitions store; it exploded and the building’s wall came tumbling down. Approximately half the sculpture that survived all these disasters was then lost, chopped up and used as building stone, or as souvenirs.
Where are the Elgin Marbles today?
the British Museum, London
Elgin Marbles, collection of ancient Greek sculptures and architectural details in the British Museum, London, where they are now called the Parthenon Sculptures.
What are the Elgin Marbles and what is their history?
During the time when Lord Elgin was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Athens was under its rule. Of the items that Lord Elgin, took from atop the Acropolis, it is estimated that he looted some 247 feet of frieze from the Parthenon, what is commonly referred to today as the so-called “Elgin Marbles”.
Did the British Museum damage the Elgin marbles?
Greece yesterday disclosed dramatic new evidence of the “irreparable damage” allegedly inflicted on the priceless Elgin marbles during the British Museum’s 183-year stewardship of them.
Why does Greece want the Elgin marbles back?
Perhaps the most impassioned argument for the return of the Parthenon sculptures is that the pieces represent a vital and central part of Greek cultural heritage. That they are the most prominent and symbolic link that modern Athens and modern Athenians have with the greatness of their ancient ancestors.
Which two countries are in a debate over the ownership of the Elgin Marbles?
Thus began an ongoing dispute between the museum and Greece over ownership of the 2,500-year-old marbles, today also referred to by some in the U.K. as the Elgin Marbles.
Why are the Elgin Marbles considered so important quizlet?
The marbles are part of Britain’s heritage. Lord Elgin did not understand the legal document made by the Turkish government. Lord Elgin had no right to obtain the marbles and abused his power to do so. The marbles belong to Greek history and are necessary.