Parthenon Marbles Debate

Parthenon Marbles Essay
To stay or not to stay? That is the question. There are many people who are debating the true home
of the Parthenon Marbles. Some believe the sculptures should stay in the British Museum whereas
others believe it should go back to Greece where it originally belonged. I do believe the British
Museum should return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece because Lord Elgin did not obtain the
marbles legally, Greece can now take care of the sculptures, and it would not force other museums
to return artworks in which they originated. Firstly, there has been controversy over whether or not
Lord Elgin took the sculptures legally. I believe that he in fact did not take them legally because
when he was asked for the papers validating the removal of the sculptures, he did not have them but
instead he gave a vague translation in Italian (1). Therefore, it is uncertain whether or not he told the
truth or told people what they needed to hear in order for him to acquire and sell the sculptures. Not
only did Lord Elgin not provide legal documentation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The return of the Parthenon Marbles is not the first case of a museum returning artworks to their
country of origin; in fact the Wright Brothers' aircraft and the Ethiopian Manuscripts are a few
which have been returned (6). The side for returning the sculptures argues that the return of these
objects did not disrupt or change big museums (6). It is not a matter of preserving and keeping big
museums the center of the world, it is a matter of ethics and giving countries what is rightfully
theirs. The opposing side argues that if the Parthenon Marbles were removed from the British
Museum, museums all over the world would be forced to return other artworks from where they
originated (5). They argue that the concept of a museum, which means collecting object and
artworks from different locations, would be lost
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Legal Ownership of the Parthenon Marbles Essay
Legal Ownership of the Parthenon Marbles
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 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
That was also the interpretation privately held by several members of Elgin's party. However, a
different attitude was taken publicly, and the party set to work removing and packing pieces of the
Parthenon. In all, they took 247 feet of the frieze (FIG. 1), 15 metopes (FIG. 2), and 17 pedimental
figures (FIG. 3), damaging a substantial portion of the adjoining masonry in the process. This would
seem to create a good argument for the Marbles' return to Greece, as Elgin had exceeded his
authority, and damaged the structure of the Parthenon, all without officially obtaining the property
rights. However, there is evidence that the Ottoman Government twice ratified what Elgin had done.
Documents have been recovered indicating that Lord Elgin convinced the Sultan to issue several
additional firmans in which he generally sanctioned what had been done. The Ottomans further
demonstrated support of the removal when a large shipment of sculpture was held up in Piraeus (the
port of Athens) because the Voivode refused to give his permission for their embarkation.
Eventually, the Ottoman government gave written orders to the Athenian authorities to permit the
shipment. Together, these two events offer a strong indication that the Ottoman

Parthenon Marbles
Parthenon Marbles Constructed well over 2,000 years ago the Parthenon and its corresponding
statues were built in dedication to the goddess Athena in the honorably named Athens. Through
warfare and time itself little over half of all statues have survived to this day. Of those sculptures
some reside in the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the rest are on display in the British Museum in
London. While the validity of Britain's legal attainment of these statues is debatable the lacking
moral premise of such collection is undisputable. Britain simply cannot own therefore display that
which is not theirs. When the Parthenon was built the structure held extreme religious value to the
Athenians. The Athenians were a polytheistic society whom based

Marbles Research Paper
Marbles are small round glass toys. They are also a great tool in recognizing the little irritations in
life and working the forgiveness muscles. Fill up a container of marbles. It should probably be a
large one in the beginning. You may not use them all, but you do not want to run out. When
something irritates you or makes you angry, upset with a situation or person, move one of the
marbles to your pocket. The marbles must stay in your pocket until you are ready to do your evening
exercise just before bed. Okay, lets assume you are home now with your pockets full of marbles.
Take out one marble at a time. See if you can remember the reason for that marble, it doesn't have to
be the exact one. Now, is it worth carrying this marble around

Rightful Ownership Of Ancient Artifacts And Treasures
Currently, there is a global debate about the competing claims to rightful ownership of many ancient
artifacts and treasures. Many times, for a variety of reasons, such objects are housed in museums in
countries other than the country where the treasures were discovered or made. If the country of
origin decides that it wants a museum to return these treasures, does a museum ever have a right to
refuse that request? Some people feel that refusing such a request is truly cultural theft. Others,
however, arguethat there are cases when the museum, not the nation, has a stronger right to
ownership. Museums should have to give the artifacts back. The magic of museums is that they
transport visitors both back in time and across continents. Museums ... Show more content on
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This is not to say that the museums intentionally stole these precious artifacts. In many cases,
protecting the artifacts motivated the acquisition. For example, the stunning marble sculptures that
once adorned the Parthenon temple in Greece were removed in the 1800s and transported to the
British Museum to preserve them from further damage. The Turkish government, which then
controlled Greece, gave permission to take it. However, Greece has long since regained its
independence and now has urgently petitioned the British Museum to return this historic art. Greece
is eager to undertake the preservation of these priceless marbles. In fact a new Greek museum has a
special room designed to house these statues in the hope that the country's wishes and rights will be
honored. Like Greece, Egypt also wants to recover its historical treasures. The country is negotiating
with France, England, Germany, the United States, and other countries for the return of priceless
pieces of its history. In some cases, the archaeologists who discovered these treasures brought them
to the

Lord Elgin Statues Research Paper
The Elgin Marbles are known to be a collection of stone sculptures that were acquired by Lord Elgin
(British) from the Parthenon in Athens between the years 1801 and 1805. During Greece's Turkish
occupation, they believe that these sculptures were taken illegally, and morally should be returned.
The Greeks have demanded that the sculptures be returned back their homeland. Yet, the British
believe that Lord Elgin purchased the statues legally from the Ottoman Empire before Greece had
won its independence. They anticipated it setting a significant level of importance for major
museums if the statues were ever returned. Unfortunately, proof doesn't exist to show that Lord
Elgin actually had permission to take all of the sculptures. Proof exists

Persuasive Speech On Marbles Essay
Kristy Sar
10/29/15
Debate, Brown
Persuasive Speech Outline
Topic: National Treasures Should Be Returned To Their Country of Origin
Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to believe that stolen artifacts should be returned.
1. Introduction
A. 2 Rhetorical Questions
1. Would you like it if someone came to your house and stole your valuable belongings?
i. I know I wouldn 't, and I 'm sure none of you would either.
2. So why should any country 's artifact – a valuable belonging of theirs, be put up for display in
another country 's museum? Specifically, ones that were stolen.
B. Comparative example to understand perspective
i. Imagine the Declaration of Independence or Abraham Lincoln 's casket being stolen and perhaps
sold in the black ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Profit
1. At least Germany was honest in their reasoning with keeping Nefertiti's bust. Countries like
Germany and Great Britain have no right in continuing making profit off of other countries ' stolen
treasure. They should return its stolen artifacts, and instead, thank the countries for being able to
have made money off of what was not rightfully theirs to begin with. Basically, these countries not
only stole artifacts, but large amounts of money that should have been made by the artifacts '
countries themselves.
III. Conclusion
A. Review/Clincher.
1. Cultural treasures should be displayed in the context in which they originated; only then can they
be truly understood. In the case of the Elgin marbles this is an architectural context which only
proximity to the Parthenon itself can provide.
2. If countries were truly interested in studying another 's artifacts, they could then borrow the
artifacts on a long–term loan – an alternative solution.
3. Lastly, if you were also interested in archaeology, you wouldn 't want to have to visit a number of
museums all across the world just to see objects from one civilization, would you?

i. Wouldn 't it be nice if all Egyptian artifacts were housed in Egypt, all Greek artifacts housed in
Greece, and all other artifacts housed in their

The Elgin Marbles : The Creation Of The Parthenon
The Elgin marbles are a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures made under the supervision
of the architect and sculptor Phidias and his assistants as part of the Parthenon. Constructed around
2500 years ago as a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena. Athena, who became the city's
patron goddess after a contest with Poseidon. The two gods competed for who would get the honor
of becoming the patron god of the city and offered gifts to the Athenians. Poseidon hit the ground
with his trident and created a spring, showing that he would offer significant naval power. Athena,
on the other hand, offered the olive tree, a symbol of prosperity and peace. The Athenians, led by
King Cecrops I, decided to take Athena's gift, thus making her the patron goddess. The Parthenon is
a temple in the classical Greek Doric order, meaning that its columns have simple capitals, fluted
column shafts, and no bases. There are eight of these columns on either end of the building and
seventeen columns running along its sides. As is the case with many other Greek temples, the
columns are not actually a single solid piece of marble, rather they are made by stacking massively
carved column drums one on top of another aligned perfectly. This is executed so well on the
Parthenon that in many cases you cannot even see the space between two separate column drums.
The building itself was decorated with marble sculptures representing scenes from Athenian cult and
mythology. There are three

Pros And Cons Of Museum Repatriation Controversy
Museum Repatriation Controversy
Museums are in a showdown with other countries over art, artifacts, and even culture. They are
fighting over repatriation,the return of artifacts and other antiquities. One expert explains, "There
are those in favor of repatriation who say it is unethical to keep these artifacts. Others contend that
such artifacts should remain in museums because they are part of a universal human history"(Art
and Cultural Repatriation). Having better more fair laws on cultural property and repatriation could
lower looting and increase archeological dig sites to find even more antiquities. The individual
country the artifact comes from, and the museum researching it, should be the only ones that can
claim whether the artifact ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Author Svensson of "On Craft and Art", believes that by giving back artifacts of cultural importance
it will mean better environments for it to be in, and become a tourist attraction for these countries so
they could get more money. Svensson also thinks that for the indigenous peoples that now have
museums could finally have something to attract more people and promote sharing of the artifacts
between other museums(par. 1). Along with Svensson's ideas there is also a problem with stopping
museums from buying stolen artifacts and refusing to give them back. Henrik Bering noted, "The
traditional museum concept of universalism, the British cultural–policy adviser Munira Mirza points
out, is now associated with "imperialistic values" and the theft of other peoples' identity, for which
there is said to be only one remedy: to hand back our ill–gotten gains"(par. 16). Some museums feel
it necessary to keep artifacts because they believe they could provide a better more suitable
environment for the ancients works, underestimating the country of origin. Having a bias towards
themselves when the country of origin could do just as good, possibly better. Museums shouldn't
hold antiquities for ransom and instead give them back to share with, and help, the

The Parthenon Marbles At The British Museum
Famous museums possess pieces of art that come from all around the world. A good example is the
Parthenon Marbles at the British Museum. Big pieces of marble became sculptures of different sizes
and specifications depending on their location at the temple. Swindale et al. describe three different
types of Marbles: metopes, in the lateral side of the building, pieces showing different battles; a
frieze, a long scene surrounding the inner temple; and pediment statues, located at the triangular
facades at the front and back of the building. The Marbles were removed from their original
placement by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1805 for conservation, as some were damaged by time
and war–related incidents (Jenkins 16). They have been safely displayed

Parthenon Marbles Research Paper
The acquisition of the Parthenon marbles by the British museum has been a controversial topic for
many years. The Parthenon marbles (commonly known as the 'Elgin marbles') concerns the set of
stone sculptures and archaeological features which were procured by Lord Elgin and imparted to the
British museum in 1816. Although the British endorse the legality of the subtraction of the marbles,
many argue that the situation was ambiguous. Through the removal of these historically significant
artefacts, Greece has suffered impacts upon their national pride, value and cultural symbolism. This
topic is not only a matter of legal and ethical import, but also a degradation of justice. Perhaps the
most contentious issue to be examined is the purported

Summary Of The Lovely Stones By Christopher Hitchens
Works of art are an amazing way to piece together the past and should be protected. In the passage
"The Lovely Stones", Christopher Hitchens argues that the parthenon sculptures be united in Greece.
The Parthenon was created by the ancient Greeks and is an intricate and beautiful piece of art,
however throughout the years it has been destroyed and pieces sent across the globe. Christopher
Hitchens uses emotional appeal and reasoning to persuade his audience that the original Parthenon
sculptures should be returned to Greece. The author uses emotional appeal to persuade his audience
that the sculptures should be returned to Greece. Hitchens attempts to make the reader sympathizes
with the parthenon. Hitchens says that the parthenon was "abused,

Elgin Marbles Research Paper
At the end of the long massive granite hall lined with intricately carved marble panels telling stories
of gods, myths and stories reside the British Museum's infamous classical Greek sculpture
collection, Elgin Marbles. Even before the word "archeology" was coined the removal of artifacts
from their original context or location have been occurring. From Egyptian mummies, to imperial
treasures of China, to the Elgin Marbles from Greece, objects have been taken from countries to be
sold for profit, saved for private collections or put in museums for most of society's existence.
However, in the past few decades, governments have taken action in asking for such objects to be
returned to their indigenous culture. Unfortunately, museums like the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In other words, the sculptures are regarded by the Greek people as a symbol of the culture, heritage,
and past, thus contain an importance. The British though don't see this side of significance. Instead,
they view the object as a part of a larger framework in presenting the Greek narrative. "The British
Museum argues that the Parthenon sculptures are 'integral to the Museum's purpose as a world
museum telling the story of human cultural achievement.' And after being housed in the museum for
nearly two centuries, the carvings are a significant feature of British cultural identity"
(Amineddoleh). However, this logic does not make sense to put it quite bluntly. This is not the
British's story to tell, it is the Greek's. There is no greater value to the collection for the British other
than a revenue stream. This collection does not tell the British's story, nor does it give the country a
sense of identity. If anything by having the collection in London it is just sad another reminder of
British

Parthenon Marbles Research Paper
The Parthenon Marbles are also known as the Elgin Marbles. They are a collection of Classical
Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions and architectural pieces that were originally part of the temple
of Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens.
From 1801 to 1812, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, of which Athens
had been a part for some 350 years, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman
authorities, removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon and transported them to
Britain by sea.
The marbles were purchased from Elgin by the British government in 1816 and were passed to the
British Museum, where they stand now on display in the purpose–built Duveen Gallery. The British
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Greece disputes the subsequent purchase of the Marbles by the British Government and urges the
return of the marbles to Greece for their unification.
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.
In the PBS interview with Christopher Hitchens and James Cuno, Hitchens argues for the
reunification of the sculptures that were intended to be seen as a unity. These would be displayed in
the Acropolis Museum adjacent to the

Pros And Cons Of Elgin Marbles
Based on your course study and the summary found at "About.com European History" ...what is
your opinion? Should the Elgin Marbles stay in Britain or be returned to Greece? There is a debate
between the modern Britain and Greece about the Elgin Marbles. These Marbles are pieces of stone
that were removed from the Ancient Greek Parthenon, during the nineteenth century by Thomas
Bruce, Seventh Lord Elgin. They are now located in the British Museum. Therefore, the Greece
government demands for their Elgin Marbles or the Parthenon Sculptures to be send back to their
rightful home, Greece. In the modern days the argument has arisen about weather or not they should
return the Elgin Marbles to Greece? In my opinion, I think that it should remain ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Therefore, I think it is best for this art to be distributed or be kept in Britain, so it can educate people
about the culture of Greece. This way, we can see the phenomenal of other cultures in a short
distance instead of traveling to that region. For example, Cyrus Cylinder or Cyrus Charter is a piece
from the old Persian Achaemenid which is in a British museum. Many Iranians people want this
piece to return back to Iran; however, I personally am against this movement, because I know if this
piece returns to Iran it might not be taken care of in a proper way at this time of a day (this might
not be true in the near future). By not having this piece of art in Iran just like the Elgin Marbles not
being in Greece, many people have a chance of learning about the historical aspects of these ancient
arts by a near experience, by visiting the museum in Britain. Another reason that I think Britain
should keep the Marbles is that by moving them to Britain, the Marbles were saved from getting
ruined. In my opinion, Lord Elgin had good intentions by sending the Marbles to Britain, because
they were already extensively damaged and was entirely neglected, as the Parthenon was in the
hands of the Ottomans. Which in conclusion, Greeks

Essay on Who Owns The Elgin Marbles Precis
"Who Owns the Elgin Marbles?" – The Précis
"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: ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Britain wins the legality argument with no question. Morality of the removal is the point most
frequently visited in the ownership argument. Did Elgin remove the marbles morally? Did he take
them with good intentions? Was it his place to take them? These are all arguments that grant Greece
the sympathy card, but unfortunately for the Greeks, legality overrules emotion in the setting of a
courtroom. However, the Greeks are adamant about making the morality of this case known. Melina
Mercouri spearheaded the emotional argument, stating that the marbles were made by the Greek, for
the Greek and therefore, belong to the Greek. Byron, a poet of the time, was unfair and depicted
Lord Elgin as an "...exploitative, unfeeling despoiler of a helpless Greece." These two bring with
them a large fan base and powerful case of emotion, but ultimately, the morality question cannot be
fully answered; this point, when all said and done, is based on opinion and cannot be used in a court
of law. Continuing with morality, people want to know if it is morally right to keep the marbles in
Britain. This is where preservation, integrity and distribution come into play. For obvious reasons,
preservation of the marbles takes priority to both the Greek and the British. Integrity and distribution
rely on the preservation of the marbles, therefore everyone

Summary: Returning Antiquities To Their Countries Of Origin
Two, four, six, eight, ten, antiques need to go back to their origins. Antiques need be relocated back
to their original origins, because that's where they belong and came from in the beginning. They
need to be returned to the origins or place they came from because that is where they were made,
and they belong with the people that made them. One thinks that it is wrong to keep something from
its original home. In the article "Returning Antiquities to Their Countries of Origin" in paragraph
three, sentence two, it states "In the early 19th century, the Earl of Elgin had numerous sculptures
taken from Greece to the Uk." also in paragraph three, setance three, it states "These include half of
the surviving sculptures from the Parthenon in Athen." If one takes away the sculptures ones taking
away the history. The sculpture were built to show the history of the past. They were built to show
what had happened in the past and who was in it. They show Greeces culture and beliefs. If one
wants to take the sculptures, than the Greeks and other countries won't know what their past was.
People and historians have learned alot from the Greek artwork, sculpture, books , paintings, and
much more. When ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the article " Returning Antiquities to Their Countries of Origin" in paragraph one, sentence one
through three, it talks about how people like to go to museums to enjoy the artifact. How they like to
see how the ancient world was to better understand the culture, or to better understand their heritage.
Although one can see why some may want to keep the artifacts in museums, instead of returning
them to their natural origin; they are taking away the rightful countries opportunity to look at their
past, and to get to know what it was like. One can see why some may think different; in conclusion,
the artifacts need to be returned to their rightful

Elgin Marbles Research Paper
The Elgin Marbles are a subject of great debate. Both sides of this great debate have great points
that support their argument. I am not sure how I feel about this particular debate. Every time I start
to lean towards one side, the other side makes an excellent point. One quote from the documentary
sticks out in my mind every time I think about this debate. One of the commentators makes the
statement, "You would not return an abused child to it's mother." That statement and the
implications that go with this statement weigh heavily in my mind. Elgin may have done something
that in this day and age would get him thrown in jail, but ultimately this act of greediness may have
saved the art that lies in the middle of this debate. I do believe that

Why The Marbles Saved The Parthenon
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 Parthenon Sculptures Should Be Returned to Greece
The Greeks finished building an exquisite temple to their beloved goddess, Athena in the year 432
BCE. (Sayre 60). The name of this enriched, unique temple was the Parthenon. The Parthenon took
the Greeks approximately fifteen years to complete and as Pericles stated, it was built to give
gratitude to their goddess Athena for the salvation of their city, Athens and all of Greece in the
Persian Wars (Sayre 60). It was also a symbol of their power and superiority among other cultures. It
was something the Greeks took great pride in and recognized it to a great extent. The Parthenon was
built on the highest point of the city of Athens to look over the precious Greek city. On the exterior
walls of the Parthenon there was beautiful artwork that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Therefore, I strongly believe that these exquisite sculptures need to return to where they were
originally built, in Greece. As I mentioned, this is an extremely controversial topic that has raised a
lot of difference in opinions. Furthermore, I must admit that those arguing for the sculptures to
remain in Britain do make some interesting points that plenty of people have taken into
consideration. One of their arguments is that the sculptures were already in a damaged and fragile
condition, and leaving them in Greece would have destroyed them completely ('The Parthenon
Marbles: Refuting the Arguments", par 6). In the YouTube video, "Parthenon Marbles Debate ", one
of Tristam Hunt's arguments is if the Greeks are able to acquire their historic artwork, this may
cause other countries to demand their historic artifacts as well, not just from the British Museum,
but from museums all over the world as well. I can see the counter arguments that this controversy
issue involves. However, regardless of whether they were in a horrible condition, the Greeks were
never consulted, nor did they have a say regarding the selling of this artwork to Elgin. Now, when it
comes to everyone claiming and demanding they receive their ancient artwork, like historian Hunt
said; this is true. It can happen, but I don't believe that any other artifacts have the amount of
significance that these sculptures do. The Greeks worked their hearts

Parthenon Marbles Debate

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Parthenon Marbles Debate