The Battle For The Parthenon Marbles Analysis

“Who Owns the Elgin Marbles?” this question continues to linger in some minds today, and just so happens to be reviewed in the respectfully titled article written by John Henry Merryman in 1986. In this article, Merryman, in the most unbiased way possible, assesses both Britain’s and Greece’s side of the argument pertaining to the ownership of the Elgin Marbles and whether they should be returned to Greece after being removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. Within the article, the main points discussed regard the morality and legality of the removal of the marbles. Merryman goes on to discuss three more main concerns dealing with the marbles and where they belong:

“The Parthenon was commissioned by Pericles sometime after Greek victories over the Persians between 490 and 480 BC” (Glancey 26, 27). During the Persian Greek wars, Athens believed that Athena watched over them and that she helped them throughout the war. The Parthenon represents the wealth, power, society, and culture of Athens. The building of the Parthenon cost the Athenians four hundred and sixty nine talents, which symbolized Athens as wealthy.

The controversy began almost one hundred years ago. Between 1801 and 1812, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed several sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens and shipped them to England, where he sold them to the British Museum in 1816. 167 years later, Melina Mercouri, Greek Minister of Culture, requested that the “Elgin” Marbles be returned. This request sparked one of the greatest debates the art world has ever known. For the past two decades, people have argued over who has the rights to these Marbles. The Greek position is certainly understandable from a cultural and emotional point of view. However, from the standpoint of

First off, your post raises two great points for both sides of the Partheon Marble dispute. While I also feel the marbles should be returned to Greece, I can now see the British Museum's reluctance to return them due to the fear of other countries wanting to take their country's art back.

Erected on the Akropolis, it can be inferred that apart from Perikles’ sons, the Athenians involved in the Periclean building programme took a resounding interest in this commemorative portrait of Perikles. Perhaps, by employing the statue, they wanted to reinvigorate sustained public interest in continuing Perikles’ legacy: the construction of the Akropolis. Stripped of any element indicative of weakness or defect, this

“Earth proudly wears the Parthenon as the best gem upon her zone” -Ralph Emerson. The Parthenon temple was constructed in Athens between 447 and 432 bc; located on a hill known as the Acropolis (meaning “high city”), the Parthenon has been admired for its beauty and master craftsmanship for millennia. When built, the temple was considered “the most decorated temple to have ever been built in ancient Greece”, however over the many years raids, explosions, and natural weathering have damaged its appearance. Nonetheless, to this day the Parthenon is an amazing sight to see. The temple was dedicated to the goddess Athena, its name being an epithet: Athena Parthenos, meaning virgin. The temple’s miraculous detail describes Athenian accomplishments

The Parthenon is among the greatest national treasures of Greece which lasted for 2000 years but had been an important part at the British Museum in London. Lord Elgin legally went through the right process and saved the marbles from further destruction, I believe the marbles should be remained in the Britain because of various reasons. Although the marbles were part of Athenians culture and society which need to be put back where they belong, the Britain had used the marbles very effectively. Even if the marbles were returned to Athens, many other original sculptures would not completely set up in the Greece because sometimes the valuable ancient artifacts were found illegally sold to smugglers. Also, the Parthenon and its marbles are a representation

The Elgin Marbles emulate a struggle of nations to come to agreeance over cultural heritage that idolizes the context of visual sculptures. In the possession of the Britons, the Marbles reach a larger demographic with the aim of the British Museum in educating for the public benefit. Thus, if not removed from the Parthenon in the early 1800’s, further destruction to the priceless works of art would have occurred. Although the marbles hold an imperial stigma in the British possession, the creation of the Parthenon also distributed a national imperial value after the Athenian conquest of the Persian Wars that in contrast is highly related to Britain in the period of acquisition. Culture does not always belong only to the society that created

It stands magnificently on top of a hill and can be seen from miles away, even at night, because it is illuminated and the lighting adds to its ethereal expression. The Parthenon had undergone adjustments including rebuilding which was completed in 432 (Bruno, 1974). One of the builders, Iktinos, has been given credit because he seemingly, non-coincidentally, had the columns built to 10.34m which reaches the height of the Temple of Zeus (Hurwit, 1999). Although it is unclear how the Parthenon got its name, according to Jeffrey M. Hurwit (1999), the word Parthenon is translated into “a room of the virgins,” and that the statue of Athena gave the building the name, not the reverse. He goes on to state that even though the building may look like a temple, it did not function as one, nor is there evidence of an altar. It is unlike anything else, and provokes emotion and- harmony and pleasure which cannot be found in nature (Bruno, 1974). The Parthenon stands in partial ruins, as attempted destruction of the Acropolis occurred due to violent uprisings, conflicts, occupations, vandalism, and a terrible explosion which occurred when ammunition was stored in one of the buildings and it exploded. The Parthenon is made of limestone and marble which would have stood the test of time were it not for human interventions. The site remains under renovation and daily pilgrimages occur to

The Parthenon is located on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece; is a former temple which was dedicated to Greek goddess Athena, whom the Athens considered their leader. According to the British Museum (2015), The Parthenon was built nearly 2500 years ago and has a long and complex history. After thousands of years it became a church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque and then finally resulted in a archaeological ruin. After the result of a ruin, the buildings were reformed in which various sculptures were damaged. During the 1800’s after the Parthenon being damaged, the Elgin marbles (Elgin) a part of the remaining sculpture, was removed and given to a British museum. For hundreds of years there has been a question if the British museum should return the Elgin marbles back to the Athenians or not. I believe that that the safest and most beneficial place for the Elgin marbles is the British museum, therefore the British should not return the marble to the Athenians.

It appears, the Greeks feel they have been robed from their statues at the Parthenon between the years 1801-1805. Lord Elgin, was the ambassador of the Ottoman Empire, which Athens was a part. He was granted permission from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to take any statues from the Parthenon. However, the Greeks feel Lord Elgin took advantage of his position by taking the statues back to the British Museum. Since the Turks had conquered Greece, it is hypotactically assumed they did not have any use or desire to keep the Parthenon intact. This led to Lord Elgin’s adventure of collecting the statues for the museum. In addition, to this, he was quite happy to have these items, because at that time it was popular to have Greek decorations or

The Parthenon marbles are sculptures from Athens. The marbles were in the Parthenon that was made for the goddess Athena. Over the years, the marbles have been damaged.

The safekeeping of the marbles would be ensured at the New Acropolis Museum, situated to the south of the Acropolis hill. It was built to hold the Parthenon sculpture in natural sunlight that characterizes the Athenian climate, arranged in the same way, as they would have been on the Parthenon. The museum's facilities have been equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the protection and preservation of exhibits. Prior to the existence of the new museum, the side that refuses to return the marbles claims that the Greeks don’t have a proper place to put the artifacts.

One of the most impressive accomplishments of Ancient Greece is the remarkable structure of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. The Parthenon is one of the most inspiring works of architecture known to mankind. The project of the extraordinary Acropolis was taken on by one of the most influential leaders of history, Pericles. Pericles influenced not only the building of one of the grandest works but the example of democracy displayed by the Greeks. The architecture was unique for its time, it featured excellent structure,the breathtaking Metopes featuring the epic battles of the gods, the Frieze a detailed sculpture displaying a procession of Greeks, and was built to house the magnificent statue of Athena adorned in gold. The Parthenon was

Museums contain vast collections of art from different places around the globe. Many of these art pieces have been acquired through donations from private collectors or are bought by the museums themselves (‘Collections Management Policy’). With vast amounts of ancient artworks inhabiting these museums, the issue of repatriation comes up. Repatriation is the return of artwork the country in which they originate from. Many nations and cultural groups wish to regain art which they deem important to their cultural heritage which gives them a sense of nationalism. Ancient art has been looted through war, expansion into other territories, and looting through illegal means. This has caused many nations around the world to lose pieces of art which they deem important to their culture. In the case of the Parthenon Marbles, the ownership of the pieces which came from the Parthenon is debated between England and Greece. The Parthenon began to be built in 447 BC with the design help of Iktinos who mathematically calculated the layout of the temple and Phidias who along with other sculptures decorated the building with countless statues and friezes which adorned the temple (Gardner). In the Early 1800s the Earl of Elgin received a permit from the Ottoman Empire which allowed him to remove many of the sculptures (Gould). However, questions over the legality of the permit Greeks have made strong pushes to have the Parthenon Marbles returned to Greece to be displayed in the new Acropolis