The Elgin Marbles
Essay by Woxman • October 11, 2012 • Essay • 352 Words (2 Pages) • 1,487 Views
Abstract
There is a big debate going on between Britain and Greece on whether the "Elgin Marbles", also known as the "Parthenon Marbles" should or should not be returned to the rightful owner. It is important to understand what the Elgin Marbles are and the history of them. I will bring forward a few points on why I think they should be returned back to Greece.
Keywords: britain, greece, elgin, parthenon, return
The Elgin Marbles
I think the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Marbles should be returned back to Greece. These classical collections, inscriptions and architectural members originally belonged to the building on the Acropolis of Athens. The 7th Earl of Elgin obtained them from the Ottoman authorities; however there is a dispute over the authorization to remove the pieces.
Greece's main reason to have them returned to the Parthenon is to be able to restore the integrity of the monument. This will allow visitors to appreciate them as a whole piece of art. A new Acropolis Museum was built south of the Acropolis Hill. It is to maintain the Parthenon sculpture in the greatest natural way. The British have them in a museum in artificial light, which is destroying the accuracy of the artwork.
It is said that the British are not able to provide a true copy of the purchase. Greece claims that they have been stolen. Even though, the court system is saying "moral obligation" is not enough of an argument to deliver them to Greece, I still disagree. The British are claiming if they give them back that they would have to return all the art from around the world out of their museums.
In conclusion, it would be of the utmost importance to return the Parthenon scriptures back to their home land. There would be a fuller understanding and interpretation of the masterpieces in the place they originated. It would be different if Britain only had a few pieces as they claimed on the documents; however it appears they have more than half. Please help preserve history, return the Elgin Marbles to their rightful owners.
Word Count: 278
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