The Parthenon Marbles - Stay in Britain, or Go Back to Greece?

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The Parthenon Marbles - Stay in Britain, or Go Back to Greece?

 I believe that the marbles should stay in the British museums and Lord Elgin is a hero. First, it was perfectly legal to save the marble from destruction. Note that Lord Elgin was a responsible man in that during the Ottoman upheaval, he made a wise decision of exporting the marble from Greece to the British Museum (Lewis & Lewis, 2019). Marbles were the most precious artifacts and Lord Elgin rescued them. If Lord Elgin did not remove the marble, everything could be destroyed. This is because, Turks hide the gunpowder in the Parthenon but unfortunately, the Venetians discovered and caused exploration that ruined statues and artifacts (Lewis & Lewis, 2019). Thus, Elgin was a hero as he was trying to rescue the marbles. 

Secondly, Elgin obtained an official degree or a royal mandate from the Ottoman Empire.  This means that nothing restricted him from excavate artifacts.  Elgin had a noble intent or in other he based his decisions on moral principles and thus, his actions are justified (Lewis & Lewis, 2019). Lord Elgin obeyed the legal authority and therefore the process was entirely legal.  Rather than allowing the marbles to suffer damage, the British museum protected them from irreparable damage

Another point is that the role of art was to provide cultural values. It also promoted cohesion and the idea of nationhood and reinforced power structures (Lewis & Lewis, 2019).  However, the art did not reflect the truth or in other words it did not meet its primary objective. This is because, in 1802, Elgin noted that the marbles were being ruined and he acted as a nobleman by seeking permission to start the excavation (Lewis & Lewis, 2019). Today, the marbles in the British museum play a cultural role and visitors come to see the objects. Art has promoted cultural understand and shared value. These cultural values could not be achieved if the marbles were sent back.

 Needless to say, the marble should stay in the British Museum because the removal of the sculptures was a creative act.  Rather than asking for Marble, Greece should praise the British Museum for protecting their valuable arts and heritage (Lewis & Lewis, 2019).  Rather than focusing on the cultural benefits of the art, they should reflect on the situation that made Lord Elgin to make such a decision. Another important point to consider is that, the items of the art are needed to be put together to make a complete art (Lewis & Lewis, 2019).  Therefore, asking for the marble does not make sense since the British took about half of the sculptures.

            Another argument is that the British museum is accessible than the Acropolis Museum.  There is much difference in size and presentations and this attracts more visitors. Even though it would be better if the marbles would be well presented while in the original building for viewers to understand the theme and facilitate a better understanding, removing the marbles from damage is a justifiable action (Lewis & Lewis, 2019). Thus, the cultural property dispute should end and negotiation should be made to promote peace.

Finally, it is not possible to change the Turkish government mandate. Note that when the marbles were being moved, the Greeks did not express their sentiments (Lewis & Lewis, 2019). Why should they ask for their ancient artifacts yet they did not care about the removal? They should know that Lord Elgin had good intentions to protect the marbles from damage. His intentions were also to support artistic learning since many artists could come to view the classical work of art.

 

 

 

Reference

Lewis, R., & Lewis, S. I. (2019). The power of art. Cengage