Did Elgin steal the marbles?

On this day in 1801, Lord Elgin removed and stole the Parthenon Marbles

Parthenon Marbles

The Elgin Marbles (/ˈɛlɡɪn/), also known as the Parthenon Marbles (Greek: Γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα, lit. "sculptures of the Parthenon"), are a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of the architect and sculptor Phidias and his assistants.

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Elgin Marbles - Wikipedia

from Greece. In the early morning light on July 31, 1801, a ship-carpenter, five crew members, and twenty Athenian labourers “mounted the walls” of the Parthenon and removed one of Greece's most important pieces of history.

Did Elgin legally take the Marbles?

It was reported on 12 March 2021 that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a Greek newspaper Ta Nea that the British Museum was the legitimate owner of the marbles and that “They [the marbles] were acquired legally by Lord Elgin, in line with the laws that were in force at that time.”

Why did Elgin take the Marbles?

On his return to England, Elgin told a Parliamentary inquest that a desire to protect what was left of the treasure was part of his motivation in taking them. The Turks, he claimed, had been even grinding down the statues to make mortar.

Did Elgin cheat at Marbles?

According to Rudenstine, British Parliament committed fraud in 1816 by purposely altering a key document during the translation process, making it appear as though Elgin had received prior authorization from Ottoman officials to remove the Parthenon marbles when he had not.

When did Lord Elgin steal the Marbles?

The Parthenon Marbles were stolen from the ancient Acropolis in 1801 by Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Sublime Porte in Istanbul.

Rescued or seized? Greece’s long fight with UK over Parthenon Marbles

Why won't the British return the Elgin marbles?

The British Museum's consistent view is that the sculptures were acquired legally, with Elgin receiving formal consent from the Ottoman empire to remove the section of sculptures.

Who stole the Elgin marbles?

Elgin left the embassy in 1803 and arrived in England in 1806. The collection remained private for the next 10 years. An outcry arose over the affair, and Elgin was assailed for rapacity, vandalism, and dishonesty in hauling the Grecian treasures to London. Lord Byron and many others attacked Elgin's actions in print.

Why does Greece want the Elgin marbles back?

Perhaps the most impassioned argument for the return of the Parthenon sculptures is that the pieces represent a vital and central part of Greek cultural heritage. That they are the most prominent and symbolic link that modern Athens and modern Athenians have with the greatness of their ancient ancestors.

Did Lord Elgin buy the Parthenon Marbles?

Known as the Parthenon Sculptures, they are also called the Elgin Marbles, after the Scottish nobleman Lord Elgin, who stripped them from the ancient Acropolis in Athens in 1801 and sold them to the British government in 1816.

Did Elgin damage the Parthenon?

But Elgin's people also caused damage, both to the sculptures they removed and to the underlying structure of the Parthenon. (“I have been obliged to be a little barbarous,” Lusieri once wrote to Elgin.) Then there were the marbles that sank on one of Elgin's ships in 1802 and were only salvaged three years later.

Why are the Elgin Marbles so controversial?

Why the controversy? The sculptures are the subject of one of the longest cultural rows in Europe. The Greeks have demanded that they be returned to their homeland. Greece maintains they were taken illegally during the country's Turkish occupation and should be returned for display in Athens.

Should the Elgin Marbles be returned?

The marbles should remain in the British Museum because lord Elgin's legal removal saved them from destruction. They are available to a wider public than they would be in Athens, and their return to Greece would set a precedent that would empty many great museums of their collections.

Where are the Parthenon Marbles now?

Today all surviving examples of decoration from the Parthenon are found in museums; there are fragments in Paris, the Vatican, Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, Palermo and Würzburg. Of the 50% of the original sculptures that survive, about half are in the British Museum and half in Athens.

Did Greece Get the Elgin marbles back?

The treasure was returned last week to Greece by the Antonio Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Sicily, ostensibly as part of a cultural exchange. Under the deal it was agreed that the loan, due to expire in 2026, could be extended for a further four years.

Why should the UK keep the Elgin marbles?

Housed in the British Museum, the marbles serve a far larger audience in London than they would if they were sent back to Athens. Based on their immeasurable contributions to humanity's historical and artistic legacy, they are considered by many to be best seen within the context of a world collection.

Why are the Elgin Marbles closed?

Leaks over both the Museum's Greek and Assyrian galleries, causing damage to the floors, are ostensibly the reason for the prolonged closure.

Who looted the Parthenon?

On 26 September 1687 a Venetian army attacked the Turkish forces stationed on the Acropolis (2). During the battle sections of both the Parthenon's interior and exterior structure were demolished when a cannonball ignited gunpowder stored inside the structure.

How did the Parthenon lose its marbles?

Exposed on the Acropolis, the Parthenon was a highly vulnerable target, and in September that year, a deadly blow fell: A Venetian mortar struck it, causing a colossal explosion that destroyed its roof, leaving only the pediments standing.

What did the British Museum steal?

In addition to the Rosetta Stone, the content discusses Australia's Gweagal Shield, India's Amaravati Marbles, Iraq's Ashurbanipal reliefs, Nigeria's Benin Bronzes, Ghana's Akan Drum, Greece's Parthenon Marbles, Rapa Nui's Hoa Hakananai'a, Jamaica's Birdman and Boinayel figures, and China's Summer Palace.

Would the Elgin Marbles have survived?

In 1687, during the Last Crusade, it was a munitions store; it exploded and the building's wall came tumbling down. Approximately half the sculpture that survived all these disasters was then lost, chopped up and used as building stone, or as souvenirs.

Who should keep the Parthenon Marbles?

A former UK culture minister says that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece, fuelling the long-standing debate over the reunification of the fifth-century works that have been housed at the British Museum since the early 19th century.

Where did Greece get its marble?

Rival Producers. Marble quarries in the Bronze Age were found on many Aegean islands, but modern studies have also shown the main sources were Naxos, Keros, Paros and Ios.

How did the Parthenon lost its roof?

On 26 September 1687 Morosini fired, one round scoring a direct hit on the powder magazine inside the Parthenon. The ensuing explosion caused the cella to collapse, blowing out the central part of the walls and bringing down much of Phidias' frieze.

What destroyed the Parthenon?

On 26 September 1687, an Ottoman ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by Venetian bombardment during a siege of the Acropolis. The resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures.

Why should the Parthenon marbles stay in Britain?

The British Museum argues that the sculptures in their collection should remain in London because there's nowhere to house them in Greece and that the Greek authorities can't look after them. Neither of these claims is true, and the British Museum doesn't argue this.