The document summarizes the ongoing debate around the ownership of the Parthenon Marbles. It outlines the key arguments from both the British and Greek sides. The British Museum claims they have a legitimate right to the Marbles and that they are better preserved in London. Greece argues the Marbles were illegally removed from the Parthenon and are crucial to Greek cultural heritage and should be returned. There is no clear legal resolution to the long-running dispute between the two countries over the statues and sculptures taken from the Parthenon in Athens.

1. Parthenon Marbles:
Adopted or Kidnapped?
Vanessa Dojaquez
1

2. 2

3. [Extra] Brief History
(more of a refresher really.)
Lord Elgin Receives a Firman
“to dig, and to take away
any pieces of stone
inscriptions or figures”
Elgin used bribes to get
them out of the country and
sold to the British Museum
(1816)
HTTP://WWW.COLORIBUS.COM
3

4. Have I
lost my
marbles?
The British Museum has:
247ft of frieze
15 metopes
17 pedimental figures
various architecture
(~1/2 of the Parthenon HTTP://WWW.PARTHENONMARBLESAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU
Collection)
4

5. The British Side
Elgin’s firman was The British Museum
legitimate has been their
protector over the
The Marbles are safer ages
in London than they
are in Athens Returning them would
set a bad precedent
5

6. The British Side (cont.)
The Greeks then were
not the same Greeks
as today
The Marbles are a part
of British heritage now
The Marbles are an
important part of the
British Museum ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, 447-432 BC
HEAD OF A HORSE OF SELENE FROM THE
EAST PEDIMENT OF THE PARTHENON
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7. The Greek Side
Elgin misinterpreted British cleaning and
the firman pollution have
damaged them
Elgin exploited his
position Greece is only asking
for the Marbles, none
The Marbles are of their other
crucial to Greek antiquities
heritage
Increase tourism
7

8. Legal Status
Britain avoids legal actions
at all costs
The UNESCO Convention
(1970)
The UNIDROIT (The
International Institute for the
Unification of Private Law)
(1995)
CENTRAL SCENE OF THE EAST FRIEZE OF
There is no law concerning THE PARTHENON
repatriation THE ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, GREECE, ABOUT
438-432 BC
8

9. Who would have to
agree?
The British Museum Greece
City of London UNESCO
The United Kingdom/ International Council
House of Parliament of Museums
The Acropolis Museum Greek Hellenic Ministry
of Culture
City of Athens
9

10. Legal
British Museum Act of
1963
International attention
has not waned
Annex Solution?
THE ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, GREECE,
ABOUT 438-432 BC YOUNG COW AND
HERDSMEN FROM THE SOUTH FRIEZE OF
THE PARTHENON
10

11. Supporters of
Repatriation
UNESCO (United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization)
European Union
His Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales
US President Bill Clinton MELINA MERCOURI IN FRONT OF THE
PARTHENON
Melina Mercouri
Italy/Vatican City
11

12. “If it would be me, I would
give them back
immediately”
- Bill Clinton
“The only thing British about [the marbles] is that
fact that one of our ambassadors filched them.”
- Chris Price, Chairman of the
Committee for the Reunification for GREEK, ABOUT 438-32 BC
the Parthenon Marbles ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, GREECE
HORSEMEN FROM THE WEST FRIEZE OF
THE PARTHENON
12

13. 1999
Symposium
Let them rot?
v.
Scraping Away History?
HTTP://FLICKRHIVEMIND.NET
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