Playing for all Elgin Marbles

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 1, 2004 | SUSAN NAGEL

[MadIvan]

Maybe a recompensation for the years of looking after them?

The Greeks are just demanding them back, sans compensation. How would you feel having paid for something all the time you've paid taxes and your forebears as far back as you know doing so, and then these blighters saying fork it over for free. No bloody way.

Regards, Ivan

[technochick99]

Let me point out how the British Museum was created and is run.

While in London, I had the opportunity to visit the museums. I was most impressed. However, due to the way they are funded, the hours were being shortened. I put money into the contribution collection 'box'.

I like the way we do things here - there are non-profit museums, with a donation 'required' (although I suppose you could get in without paying). There are free days, and many opportunities to have memberships and various sponsor levels. I am not sure if there are any government grants involved.

[technochick99]

Is this in addition to the other cuts that the marbles received?

I think this is a reference to cutting the child in half in order to be fair...

[Polybius]

From a classics standpoint, its a real tragedy -- the complete temple - the Parthenon -- is incomplete-- in Greece its just a building -- in London -- the friezes are at eye level (not their original placement) and displayed totally out of context.

All hope of the Parthenon surviving "complete" went up with a bang on 26 September 1687 when a Venetian shell landed on the Parthenon which was being used as a gunpowder magazine at the time by the Turks.

Regardless of the original intentions, the fact remains that Elgin's actions preserved the Elgin Marbles in a state of preservation much superior to any that would have resulted if the marbles had stayed in situ.

Today, the Parthenon and the Caryatid Porch display no original marbles. What you see "in the original placement" are merely reproduction as the Greek Government removed the remaining original marbles to the indoor safety of the Akropolis Museum in 1977 in order to arrest their progressive melting in the the polluted Athenian air.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

Elgin removed one Caryatid and, today, that particular Caryatid in the British Museum is the best preserved Caryatid in existence with healthy marble and sharp detail.

In contrast, the remaining original Caryatids in the Akropolis Museum have to be encased in booths of inert gas, after having lost most of their facial features, so that their outer layer, now turned from marble to gypsum by the chemical effect of their exposure to Athen's air pollution, will not continue to flake off.

[Cronos]

Ok, but what if they were willing to pay compensation. would you consider returning them?

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

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