Should Britain Return the Elgin Marbles to Greece?

For more than 2,400 years the Parthenon has stood on the crest of the Acropolis. Rising over modern Athens, Greece, the Parthenon was the ancient temple to the goddess Athena. Though the Parthenon is in ruins today, millions come to marvel at what remains of this stately and beautiful building.

In London, England, meanwhile, art lovers from all over the world flock to the British Museum. At this famous museum, people can view the exhibit of marble sculptures that were once part of the Parthenon. For these visitors, the art of ancient Greece comes to life at close range.

The Elgin Marbles, as they are known, from one of the British Museum's most important collections. The marbles from the Parthenon arrived in Britain in the early 1800s. At that time Greece was under Turkish rule. The Earl of Elgin, the British ambassador to Turkey, received permission to remove "some stones" from the Parthenon. Under Elgin's direction 83 marble statues became part of the collection of the British Museum.

When Greece regained its independence in 1830 its leaders asked Britain to return the Elgin Marbles. The British goverment refused. In 1983 the Greek government once again asked that the sculptures be returned. Once again, the British refused.

What do you think? Should Elgin Marbles be returned to Greece? Or should remain in Britain?

Point

A Symbol of Our Heritage

The viewpoint of Greece was written by its minister of culture. These remarks were published in an Athenian newspaper.

Lord Elgin had no right to remove the marbles from the Acropolis. They are the property of the Greek people. More importantly, the marbles are major part of the Parthenon. Do not compare them with other museum artifacts. They are not simple objects that were carved long ago by a remote people in a remote place. The Parthenon marbles are among the world's greatest pieces of art. Their value is unimaginable.

Historians of art agree that the Parthenon is a unique example of Greek art. In the center of Athens, the ruins attract thousands of foreign visitors each year. What are they coming for? The Acropolis was the center of the world's greatest ancient civilization. Yet those who visit modern Athens find a Parthenon without its sculptures. "Where are the sculptures?" they ask. "Are they ruined? Are they bits of dust on the Acropolis?"

Counterpoint

An International Treasure

David Wilson, director of the British Museum, defended the position of the British Museum in a London newspaper.

Lord Elgin received the legal title to the Parthenon marbles nearly two centuries ago. They have been preserved and protected in the British Museum ever since. Openly displayed for enjoyment of the general public, the Elgin Marbles are the "crowning jewels" of our collection of ancient art.

There are quite a few people who think that returning the marbles would be a nice gesture for the British to make. It really is a much more difficult problem, however. It would lead to the destruction of the British Museum.

The British Museum receives a lot of different materials for its collections. There will not be an increase in our collections if we started returning our treasures to anyone who thought they had a claim to them. The museum also has to think of the many visitors who come from faraway countries to view the magnificent marbles.