Elgin Marbles

[astrologica]

I watched a debate this morning on TV about the Elgin Marbles. What do you good folks think.......should we let the Greeks have their marbles back?

[023mjc]

I think it's a great pity that the marbles are not where they belong, and I believe we should return them. But that said, if we returned evrything to it's place of origin our museums would be empty. Jury's out on this one.

[fallen-archie]

The smart move would be to strike an agreement with the Greeks for them to have access and ownership in exchange for other artefacts of similar importance so that both the public and scholars could study them here.

[evoman3957]

I guess that's what happens when a Country lets its history go, or flogs it off for convenience and then wants it back...............not so easy then..........what's the saying "possession is nine tenths of the law".

[astrologica]

I agree.....I think we should give them back. How would we like it if the wonderful huge stones of Stonehenge were sitting in a field somewhere in Greece?

[electric*mayhem*band]

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@astrologica wrote:
I watched a debate this morning on TV about the Elgin Marbles. What do you good folks think.......should we let the Greeks have their marbles back?

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Yes, provided we don't trade them off for Nana Mouskouri.

[evoman3957]

Let them have them back, they're small potatoes by comparison.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/10007606/Greeces-great-fire-sale.html

[cee-dee]

It's the same as people who don't value something they regard as rubbish and are pleased to get someone to take it away. The moment they discover that the "rubbish" is being put to good use, they either want a fortune for any more or want something for what's already be used.

Had Elgin not taken a lot of what he did, it would have been destroyed because the Greeks had already used some of the limestone statues from the Parthenon to make lime (mortar?) for building.

[ronnybabes]

Agreed CD. If Elgin had not acquired the "Marbles" they would not now be around for the Greeks to want them back.

Having said that, give 'em the flaming things back, however, a big thank you from the Greek authorities to us would be in order, for saving the Marbles from destruction.

[bankhaunter]

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@evoman3957 wrote:

I guess that's what happens when a Country lets its history go, or flogs it off for convenience and then wants it back...............not so easy then..........what's the saying "possession is nine tenths of the law".

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It isn't really as simple as that, at the time Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire so Lord Elgin obtained a permit from the Turks which allowed him to remove them.

However there is a further consideration, at the time the Parthenon was gradually being used as a convenient source of building materials by the local people, a fate common through the years, a similar fate being suffered by many old castles etc. in the UK.

The Marbles themselves were in danger of being broken up for hardcore and it could be said were actually rescued by the said lord though there was some controversy over the permit and his right to remove them.

Personally I think they should go back once their future safety can be assured

[vamo48]

I've always thought they should go back, they're not part of our history and belong in Greece.  However, I didn't know until now that they were in danger of being broken up, so that puts a different slant on it.  Still, there's plenty to look at in our museums without them.  We could always list them on ebay and see what Greece bids...

[cee-dee]

They were going to be broken up then burned in a Lime kiln!

[upthecreekyetagain]

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@astrologica wrote:
I watched a debate this morning on TV about the Elgin Marbles. What do you good folks think.......should we let the Greeks have their marbles back?

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No.

[lambsy_uk]

Tell them they can have them back when they've paid off their debts!

[upthecreekyetagain]

I can see no reason, moral, economic nor practical why they should be returned.

Might as well demand that all LS Lowry paintings are returned to Manchester or that London Bridge be returned to London.

Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier removed part of the Parthenon Frieze before Lord Elgin and sent them to France where they now reside in the Louvre.

He had exactly the same permission as Lord Elgin to do so and I have not heard about any demands to return these antiquities.

[saasher2012]

Far from returning them, I think they should thank us for saving the marbles so that everyone can enjoy them, I believe money changed hands when they were acquired ?. Have we demanded money or return of arts that Hitler stole from all of his many victims?.

[lambsy_uk]

Rather than return them we should charge them for storage and maintenance!

[saasher2012]

Agreed.! Where ya been Lambsy?.