Elgin Marbles Research Paper

524 Words2 Pages

The Elgin Marbles are a collection of Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions and architectural pieces that were originally part of the temple of the Parthenon in Athens. Lord Elgin (British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire) had agents remove about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon. The Elgin Marbles, also referred to as the Parthenon Marbles, were transported to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition of the marbles was supported by some, while others (including the poet, Lord Byron) related Elgin's actions to vandalism or looting. The British public is, in fact, in favor of returning the Marbles to Greece.
I think the Marbles should be returned to Greece. They should be placed in their original home so people can see them in the location of origin. Though some of these artifacts were bought, some were also stolen from the Greeks. Many Englishmen and women argue that possession is nine-tenths of the law, and therefore the Elgin Marbles now belong to England. This, however, is a preposterous idea because Greece initially already had possession of them. …show more content…

In reality though, not only did the British Museum damage these artifacts with their harsh cleaning implements, but also, upon being restored to Greece, the Parthenon Marbles would be kept in a well-equipped museum. The New Acropolis Museum has been recently built specifically to protect the Marbles. It was built to hold the Marbles in natural sunlight that characterizes the Athenian climate, arranged in the same way as they would have been on the Parthenon. This museum lies a mere three hundred meters from the Acropolis, allowing the Parthenon Marbles to be seen basking in the Greek sunlight as

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