For over a decade, employees at The British Museum refused to even focus on returning the controversially procured Elgin Marbles to Greece. Now, they’re sitting round a desk with Greek heritage officers.

The Elgin Marbles, or Parthenon Marbles, are a group of sculptures and friezes that had been initially featured within the fifth century BC Parthenon temple on the Athenian Acropolis in Greece. Devoted to the goddess Athena, this legendary constructing’s sculptures symbolize the head of Greek artwork. The Elgin Marbles are regarded not solely as an emblem of the birth of democracy , but in addition of Western civilization.

Within the early nineteenth century, Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin, was a British nobleman, soldier, politician, diplomat, and the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire , which dominated Greece on the time. Historical past remembers Elgin for having controversially “procured” the traditional marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. On the time, Lord Byron proclaimed Elgin’s procurement of the marbles was “cultural vandalism.”

This portray exhibits an idealized view of the Momentary Elgin Room on the Museum in 1819, with portraits of employees, a trustee and guests. The room was designed by the Museum’s architect, Robert Smirke, for the non permanent show of the sculptures from the Parthenon introduced from Athens by Lord Elgin often called the ‘Elgin Marbles’ ( Public Domain )

Nonetheless, in 1810, a British parliamentary committee supported Elgin, and the Parthenon Marbles had been bought by the British authorities in 1816 for £35,000. They’ve been displayed at The British Museum ever since.

Thousands and thousands of tourists to The British Museum view the Elgin Marbles and Parthenon sculptures yearly (Alan Cordova / CC BY NC ND 2.0 )

Small Steps in the direction of Huge Change

In 2019, Ancient Origins revealed a information story about Dr. Emma Payne from King’s School London utilizing 3D imaging strategies to create digital pictures of the West Frieze of the Elgin Marbles. Then in 2020, we wrote concerning the growing “archaeological dispute” between Britain and Greece over the future of the allegedly ill-gotten artifacts. Greek City Times mentioned “Brexit stress” had ramped up the controversy, after a requirement for the return of stolen cultural artifacts appeared in a draft European Union mandate.

Up till now, nevertheless, the British Museum in London has point-blank refused to even focus on the return of the well-known Elgin Marbles. Nonetheless this week, CNN reported that employees at The British Museum mentioned “constructive discussions” are being held with Greek heritage officers over the Parthenon Sculptures, and that the two,500-year-old marbles “may quickly be returned” to their house in Athens.

The British Museum has displayed the controversial Elgin Marbles for the reason that early 1800s. Current talks could lastly outcome of their repatriation to Greece. (Chris Devers / CC BY NC ND 2.0 )

An Act Impressed By Papal Decree?

All this comes solely weeks after Pope Francis introduced that he’ll return three Parthenon items to Greece which were held within the Vatican Museums for over 100 years. The Vatican mentioned in an announcement in December that the Pope was “giving them to Ieronymos II, the pinnacle of the Greek Orthodox Church , as a gesture of ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church”.

Simply after this announcement, the Greek authorities mentioned it was in talks with The British Museum “over the Elgin Marble repatriation.” The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that “an settlement had been drawn up” with the museum’s chairman, former finance minister George Osborne, to permit the artifacts to be returned as a part of an change deal. The British Museum mentioned in an announcement that “constructive discussions at the moment are ongoing”.

Three fragments of the Parthenon sculptures on the Vatican might be returned to Greece. The pictured fragment got here from the southern metopes with the centaur battle ( Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports )

A Difficult and Scorching Sizzling Subject

Historically, The British Museum has forbidden any discussions pertaining to the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece on the grounds that they had been legally acquired. Furthermore, UK legal guidelines prevented the gathering from being damaged up. Nonetheless, this week a British governmental spokesperson mentioned the British authorities is now pursuing the concept of “reunifying the Parthenon Sculptures with Greece”.

Stepping again to 2002, an article in The Guardian mentioned it’s “silly, on an impulse of misguided post-imperial revisionism, to undermine the world’s nice collections.” The principle argument for the artifacts staying in Britain is that “main museums have all the time promoted the cultures of different nations by displaying and sharing them in a global and historic context.” The Elgin Marbles, whereas on show on the British Museum, have taken on “an id as icons of civilization, invested with values that can’t and shouldn’t be diminished to nationwide particularisms”.

Are The Elgin Marbles About To Be Returned To Greece?

The Guardian instructed that if these sculptures had been to go away the British Museum “a Pandora‘s field could be opened,” with countless claims for the restitution of the reveals of all the nice museums of the world. “The world would thereby be impoverished,” it was claimed. Nonetheless, this week The Art Newspaper reported that if this new deal is finalized, “the marbles are anticipated to be returned to Greece in early 2023” the place they are going to be displayed on the Acropolis Museum with their sister artifacts from the Parthenon.

Prime picture: Photograph of the Parthenon Marbles, East Pediment. The Elgin Marbles have been controversial ever since they had been taken from Greece. Supply: Justin Norris / CC BY 2.0

By Ashley Cowie