Let’s wind the clock back to 2000 years ago. In ancient Greek, two master architects spent 15 years building a masterpiece--which is still the symbol of Athens, even Greece, nowadays--the Parthenon. The architecture is so fabulous that it is beyond expression. It is also recognized as the flag of golden section and the peak of Doric order. However, gorgeous outlook could not be the reason to avoid abusing. Open the book of history, and we can find that the Parthenon was destroyed and even ruined for multiple times. Recently, with the completion of The Acropolis Museum in Greece, the number of museums that returned pieces of the sculpture in the Parthenon back to Greece is increasing. In Christopher Hitchens’ article ‘The Lovely Stone’, he builds a persuasive argument claiming that all the pieces of Parthenon should be returned to their original owner---- Greece. In this article, he employs sharp contrast, authoritative quotations, convincing facts and reasoning as well as vivid analogy. …show more content…
Hitchens initiates his argument by citing a sentence from A.W.Lawrence, a great classicist. Quoting words from people who is highly respected could enhance Hitchens’ intention to depict the glamour and beauty of the Parthenon, then make the audience be more confident in what they are being told. However, later in the second paragraph, Hitchens lists the unfair treatment, which does not match the Parthenon’s beauty, happened to it in the past 1500 years. It was ‘abused and perverted and mutilated’/it suffered from abuse, perversion and mutilation; it has been converted into Christian church, mosque, garrison, and arsenal. By contrasting its beauty and its maltreatment sharply, the author leads his article efficiently and arouses the flames of anger in the readers’
The Parthenon embraces its beauty in human history , however , it imprisons its misuse and abuse in addition. In Christopher Hitchens’s , “The Lovely Stones” , he builds an argument to persuade the audience that the original Parthenon Sculptures should be returned to Greece . Christopher Hitchens uses negative diction , cultural references , and the rhetorical appeal , logos , to strengthen his argument .
Hitchens, Christopher. The Elgin Marbles: Should They be Returned to Greece? London; New York: Verso, 1998.
The Trojan War and its characters are detailed in the writings of Homer, Vergil, Dante and many others. It is a fantastical tale of a decade-long siege of a powerful city by a massive pan-hellenic force. However, even though it has proved to be such a rich source of inspiration for writers, poets and artists throughout history, it is debated whether it actually took place. Heinrich Schliemann famously said “I have gazed on the face of Agamemnon.” on discovering tombs with the bodies of Mycenaean chieftains in Turkey. The German businessman-turned-archaeologist claimed to have discovered the city of Troy at the hill now called Hisarlik – about three miles from the Dardanelles. However, his claims are still disputed today. Before tackling the question of whether the Trojan War actually occurred, we must ask in what form. What exactly do we mean by “the Trojan War”? There is no definitive version of the events in the war, as our knowledge of it comes from a myriad different sources. Then we should consider Schliemann’s discoveries, and the other archaeological evidence for the Trojan War. Finally, after we have defined “Trojan War” in context of archaeology and historical fact, we must then draw conclusions about the extent to which archaeology proves its historical authenticity.
There is an ongoing debate on whether the Parthenon Marbles, now located in London, England, should be returned to their original homeland of Athens, Greece. The marbles were removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin from 1801-1812 and transported to England. They were sold to the British government in 1816 and put in the British Museum where they have been for the last 200 years. I believe that the marbles should now be returned to Greece, not only because of the method and circumstances surrounding their removal, but because they are original pieces of the oldest and most symbolic structure in Greek history that epitomizes the pinnacle of Ancient Classical Greece and the beginning of western democracy through artistic ingenuity.
Cao Xueqin’s Story of the Stone is a classic in Chinese literature, showcasing the life and exploits of the wealthy Jia clan during the feudal era. Through Cao’s depiction, the reader is afforded a glimpse into the customs and lifestyle of the time. Chinese mode of thought is depicted as it occurred in daily life, with the coexisting beliefs of Confucianism and Taoism. While the positive aspects of both ideologies are presented, Cao ultimately depicts Taoism as the paramount, essential system of belief that guides the character Bao-yu to his eventual enlightenment.
The Marble Grave Stele is a horizontal piece that was embedded in a larger piece of marble. The inscriptions of the names of who died have long been lost. Thus, we must interpret for ourselves what the full meaning of the piece is. The artist of the piece is unknown, but it was constructed in Greece in around 360 B.C. during the Classical Era and stands at 171.1 centimeters in height. Its original location, as its name suggests, was at a gravesite; currently, it is located in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Stele was carved from marble. Overall, it is in good condition; however, the body of the woman on the left is missing with only her head surviving. Its stone frame in which it was set is also missing. This frame more than lik...
For years on end, countries have been fighting with big museums from other countries for ancient artifacts that belong to the original countries. The argument of whether or not the museums should be able to keep them still remains. It is the right of the country to have their own artifacts. It is imperative for countries to be able showcase their historical artifacts, therefor museums should return them to their rightful owners.
With these arguments, it is understandable why Greece is fighting furiously for the ownership of the marbles and they are not to blame for the loss of their artefacts in the first place because of Ottoman rule. However despite the significance of Greek’s arguments for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, there is a serious repercussion that may result from the marbles being reclaimed by
...troversy as all countries have lost, to a great or lesser extent, treasures of national renown and significance over time. Wars, theft, treasure seeking, changing boundaries and migration have all in some way contributed to this diaspora of art. There is clear evidence that the historic placing of objects in locations remote from their origin has on occasion afforded protection and preservation, The Elgin Marbles in The British Museum being a case in point. However, given the overarching principle of self determination it is difficult to argue that serendipitous historic placement is sufficient reason for items of true national heritage to be kept indefinitely. A world-wide system of touring exhibitions and cultural exchange, with context being provided by the originating society may provide the natural progression to the accessible widening of people’s experiences.
“The Hitchhiker” by Lucille Fletcher was a story that leaves the reader curious about what more there is to come. “The Hitchhiker” is a story about a man named Ronald Adams, who goes on a trip to California and has strange encounters which leads him to the discovery of death and bewilderment. Fletcher builds this effective suspense story by merging all the elements of the plot together throughout the entire story. The author does this by making Adams question his sanity with each encounter of a stranger, but never fully giving answers as to the identity of the hitchhiker. The exposition of “The Hitchhiker” gives insight to the problems that may arise throughout the story.
"Should Britain Return the Elgin Marbles?" The Week UK. N.p., 14 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Feb.
In order to create innovative public architecture, considered to be the most civic, costly, time intensive and physical of the arts, the project holds a degree of risk, strife, and negotiation . Overcoming these tasks and creating worthy public architecture is a challenge designers try to accomplish, but are rarely successful. The people involved in a potential public building, can be larger than the building itself. Public architecture tries to please all, even the doubters and critics, but because of the all these factors, a building is closer to failing than succeeding.
Palladio had an exceptional grasp of the use of proportion in classical architecture and believed beautiful architecture improved p...
...on. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate it. The ancient Greeks were very well known for their beautiful temples. They were able to devise several different ways to create beautiful buildings and implement those designs. The ancient Greeks set the architectural foundations for the rest of the world with their three orders. The three styles, or orders, are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The three distinctive styles are referred to as orders because they display proportionate, ordered, and coordinated parts. The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders serve a functional purpose, as well as lend so much beauty to structures. “All the world’s culture culminated in Greece, and Greece in Athens, all Athens in its Acropolis, all the Acropolis in the Parthenon” (Nardo, 61).
From the time of the ancient Greeks all the way to modern day, some part of humanity has almost always been interested in the past. For the ancient Greeks, it was discovering Mycenaean ruins and composing stories about them. Today, inspiration is still drawn from classical architecture. One has to look no further than the U.S. capitol building, or even the University of Michigan's Angell Hall to see remnants of this architectural style. This raises the question of why does it still persists? Logically, the best way to answer this is to examine the origins of classical architecture, and what it represented then and now. Furthermore, the study of ancient architecture can show insights into past civilizations which otherwise would have been lost.