Brits cave: Elgin Marbles on way back to Greece

News.Com.AU ^ | August 4, 2003 | Jon Ungoed-Thomas

[yankeedame]

Marbles back for Greek Games

By Jon Ungoed-Thomas

August 4, 2003

THE British Museum has held undisclosed talks with the Greek Government over a proposal to return the Elgin Marbles to Athens for next year's Olympic Games.

The museum has confirmed it had talked with the Greeks about lending the marbles, despite repeatedly stating they would remain in Britain.

In Athens, work has started on a $74 million Acropolis Museum, which has been designed specifically to exhibit the marbles. Under the proposed deal, the exhibition space might formally be designated an annexe of the British Museum.

British Museum director Neil MacGregor confirmed the museum would consider the loan to the Greeks.

The 2300-year-old marble statues and panels were removed from the Parthenon in 1801 by Lord Elgin, who was then British ambassador to Constantinople. The collection was then sold to the British government and placed in the British Museum.

[John Beresford Tipton]

FYI

[John Beresford Tipton]

"Museum would consider the
loan to the Greeks." Yo, Neil, do you *really* think you'll ever get them back?

[painter]

"The 2300-year-old marble statues and panels were removed from the Parthenon in 1801 by Lord Elgin,"

It should say ,The 2300-year-old marble statues and panels were stolen from the parthenon in 1801 by Lord Elgin.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Any steelies?

[RicocheT]

Once they are in Greek territory, the British Museum will never get them back. The BM should only send castings of the originals to honor the Olympic games.

[FreedomCalls]

It should say ,The 2300-year-old marble statues and panels were stolen from the parthenon in 1801 by Lord Elgin.

How so? He paid for them didn't he?

[Moonmad27]

The Elgin marbles remained in excellent condition for 200 years thanks to them being removed to London, while the building itself at the Acropolis suffered 200 years of wear and tear. That's a shame that they're being returned, and I hope this doesn't lead to so many other treasures being returned to their countries of origin. Mainly I worry that once they're moved to a museum in Greece, they would be a target for terrorists wanting to make a big splash.

[ThirdMate]

Yes he did. He removed them because the Turks were shelling the Parthenon.

[RightWhale]

work has started on a $74 million Acropolis Museum

Hope that kid that sells peanuts to tourists in 7 languages doesn't get caught in the casting resin. Greece's own little Pompeii preserving a snapshot of culture forever. Frieze over there, peanuts over here, tourists taking images on their flash cards of the peanut kid and ignoring the frieze.

[horse_doc]

Hardly. The Turks would have cut them into bite-sized pieces and sold them off, had not Lord Elgin bought and rescued them.

The Turks did blow up the Acropolis, after all.

The Greeks ought to have a holiday in Elgin's honor, for what he saved.

[FreedomCalls]

Mainly I worry that once they're moved to a museum in Greece, they would be a target for terrorists wanting to make a big splash.

Quite rightly. They will suffer the same fate as the Bamiyan Buddhas. I fear the Athens Olympics will suffer a terrorist attack that will make the 1972 Munich attack (carried out by the PLO with the approval of Yassar Arafat remember?) look minor.

[horse_doc]

Were the Turks shelling it? I thought that the Turks were using it for a powder magazine, and someone lit a hookah . . .

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Athens needs lime. Start the kilns.

[xp38]

That would be a good idea. The Parthenon replica in Nashville has castings of them on display. Worth a visit for those who are in the neighbourhood.

[Tacis]

The Elgin Marbles will be returned to Athens just in time to be destroyed by the terrorist attacks associated with the 2004 Summer Olympics. I hope the FBI has a good tail on Richard Jewell so they can arrest him again if there are problems again.

[mewzilla]

Whoa, there. Elgin paid a bribe to someone who had no authority to allow Elgin to take the marbles. Elgin had tried to get permission from the Turks (who didn't own them either really, did they?) and was turned down. Elgin was a thief. Now, maybe the marbles were better off in Britain. We've seen them. They're exqusisite, and the Brits have taken excellent care of them. But they were still stolen from Greece.

[Dog Gone]

Yes he did. He removed them because the Turks were shelling the Parthenon.

Which the Greeks were using as an ammo dump, right? That's what my Greek guide at the Parthenon told me a couple of years ago.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"I hope the FBI has a good tail on Richard Jewell"

Oh, Shiite, Mueller can you spare some of your best and brightest from draining the pond?