Greece welcomes home Parthenon marble from Italy

Reuters ^ | Sept. 24, 2008 | Daniel Flynn and Renee Maltezou

[eleni121]

ATHENS (Reuters Life!) - Greece welcomed home a small fragment of the Parthenon marbles on Wednesday and expressed hope the gesture by the Italian government would prompt Britain to return its own prized collection of Greek sculpture

[eleni121]

Now the Brits need to re-discover (or just discover) the meaning of honor...and return what is not theirs - namely the stolen (by Elgin) Parthenon Marbles which reside isolated and often abused in the British Museum.

[eleni121]

Hey Brits: Just return what doesn’t belong to you!

[RJL]

Now the Brits need to re-discover (or just discover) the meaning of honor...and return what is not theirs - namely the stolen (by Elgin) Parthenon Marbles which reside isolated and often abused in the British Museum.

While somewhat sympathetic, I remember reading a bit about these a year or so ago.

If the Brits hadn't "stolen" them, they would be almost rubble as proven by the very poor condition of remaining Parthenon Marbles or similar left in the care of Greece.

[Redbob]

If it were not for the British “stealing” and taking good care of these artifacts, where do you suppose they would be today?
Thank goodness the British did what they did, or the Elgin Marbles and countless other historical items would have been long lost.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Hey Brits: Just return what doesn’t belong to you!

I'd be surprised if this happened, due to the precedent it would set. Other nations would soon demand the return of their treasures - and I doubt the British want to start arguing with India about breaking up the crown jewels to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond or with the Syrians about returning sculptures from Sargon's palace.

[eleni121]

Ping

[3AngelaD]

What he said. There would be nothing left. The Ottoman Turks were using the Parthenon for target practice and the Greeks at that time were not at all concerned. Greece didn’t care about these treasures until the Brits valued them and saved them, and then it took the Greeks several decades to get around to trying to reclaim them. More a case of “savers-keepers” rather than “finders-keepers.” Left to the Greeks, these treasures would be lost to the world.

[3AngelaD]

Yes, and we would have to give back the key to the Bastille that Lafayette presented to George Washington, which still hangs in the hall at Mount Vernon.

[eleni121]

If the Brits hadn't “stolen” them, they would be almost rubble as proven by the very poor condition of remaining Parthenon Marbles ..

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That's an old and obviously careless argument coming from the Brit side. When there last summer I did not notice the Parthenon to be any worse for wear and in any case the new museum will be more than adequate to house them.

In fact the damage done by the chemical scrubbers in the British Museum far outweighs any potential damage done by the “pollution” in Athenian skies.

[eleni121]

Lafayette was a French citizen and gave what was his to give.

The Marbles were not Elgin’s to give to a third party. He stole them basically.

[eleni121]

Nevertheless there is a movement to return and restitute cultural patrimony to the regions that birthed it.

It’s only fair...in some cases more fair than in others I will concede

[3AngelaD]

I stand second to none in my admiration for the Marquise. One of my ancestors fought with him at the Battle of Yorktown. He was an honorary American citizen and at odds with the current regime when the key was bestowed. That said, your equating the key with the Elgin marbles, defining Lafayette's citizenship and concluding it should not be returned, is an invalid syllogism (συλλογισμός).

[Eternal_Bear]

The Parthenon is the preeminent symbol of Western Civilization itself. It was built as a commemoration of the Greek Victory over the Persian invasions. The Elgin friezes need to be returned to their creators. The friezes can only be totally appreciated when they are restored to their original place.

[eleni121]

not sure what you are talking about...your analogy is ridiculous...diasyrmos

( διασυρμος!)

( διασυρμος!)

[eleni121]

The Parthenon is the preeminent symbol of Western Civilization itself.

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That knowledge is key. And that knowledge is lost on the Brits.

The sordid way they were removed speaks volumes about the Brits insistence in keeping them.

[3AngelaD]

I did not “make” an analogy. I identified an invalid syllogism. Big dif.

[3AngelaD]

I did not “make” an analogy. I identified an invalid syllogism. Big dif.

[3AngelaD]

I think what speaks volumes about the Brits is that Greece would still be a wholly owned subsidiary of Turkey if it were not for the Brits. And of Russia if not for the Brits and Americans. And never a mention of gratitude.

[eleni121]

Your comment proves how little you know of modern Greek history. So don’t even bother.

[eleni121]

The Brits have already admitted how badly they damaged the Marbles...the time is long past when they should have been returned.

“The British Museum has admitted that the controversial Elgin Marbles were damaged by “heavy handed” cleaning 60 years ago. And it has said an attempt to cover up the damage to the marbles in the 1930s was “a scandal”.

The Brits have done an enormous disservice to the culture of the world.

More here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/543077.stm