The Marbles of Parthenon

After hearing the lecture and reading the few articles about the Parthenon Marbles, I feel that my opinion goes back and forth. Overall though, I feel that having the marbles in a museum is fair and I feel that having them in a Greek museum would also be fair. Yet there seem to be pros and cons to both.

Lord Elgin, ambassador of Constantinople, made up his mind that he wanted to put the Parthenon Marbles in his home as decoration. He solely wanted these sculptures for their beauty. He negotiated with the Turkish government who were in control of Greece at the time. Eventually his agents began chipping away at the Parthenon Marbles. the Ottoman's were very pleased with Britain's help in blocking Napolean in Egypt that they forced Elgin, in 1816, to sell the marbles to the British government. He was given what would be four million dollars today, for the marbles. It was enough to pay off his debt from his divorce. The British museum then had the frieze depicting the birth of Athena placed along their walls where people could walk by and see every detail. In 1879, more than 15,000 art students studied the marbles and from then on, many more students were given the opportunity. 

By placing the marbles in a museum, they were not only better preserved, but also easier to look at. If the marbles were still on top of the Parthenon, the details and techniques used would not be able to be examined because they would be so high up. I think that is one pro for them to be held in a museum. Although, it is sad that they were separated from their original origin, I still think that the marbles themselves serve as one whole piece of artwork that should be admired to the fullest. For scholars and people who show a great interest in art history, I think that this makes for another positive aspect of the marbles being separated from the Parthenon. It's already amazing just learning about the sculptures and the meanings behind them, so being able to see them up close would be even better. Seeing the Parthenon itself would also be great, but if the marbles were up high on the Parthenon, we would not be able to appreciate them as much. 

Much controversy has come about as to whether or not the marbles should be returned to Greece. In November of 2002, the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor finally agreed to meet with the Greek Minister, Evangelos Venizelos to discuss the return of the marbles. Greece threw out the option of opening up a museum in Athens, that could  be ran by the British, and hold the marbles of Parthenon. They even offered to provide the British Museum with other Greek artifacts.To me, there seem to be plenty of benefits for the British in this agreement yet they won't give in. I feel that placing the marbles back in Athens would be fair because they would be close to their origin and after all, they are Greek artifacts. It would also be nice having the Parthenon and its marbles close together so that they can be seen almost together. According to the Britishmuseum.org, they have 5 million visitors per year, which is probably why they would like to keep the marbles where they are at. Yet, if they still had control over the museum in Athens, they would still probably have the same number of visitors if not more. To me, they are just being stubborn. I feel that Greece has offered them some great incentives that could be very profitable and beneficial to the British. Having two museums with several different artifacts, including more of the Greeks best antiquity seems like quite the deal to me. The British museum also seems to mainly focus on the aesthetics of the marbles making them pieces that are solely meant for beauty. Within the marbles are great historical stories about the Goddess Athena, also known as the Goddess of Wisdom. These pieces tell her story and although they are very beautiful pieces, they should also be appreciated for the story that they tell. I think that by placing the marbles in Athens, the history behind them would come back. They would be closer to the Parthenon, where they were first created, and together, they would create the entire story of the Goddess Athena. There is also the fact that "Athens" was named after Athena. It would make sense to have a work of art dedicated to the Goddess Athena, in the town that was named after her. 

All Greece is asking for, is for the Parthenon marbles to be placed back where they belong, which is in the area that they originated from. I think that Greece is being very fair about this situation and that they really aren't asking for a lot from the British. The marbles of Parthenon should also be returned to the city of Athens for the sake of its history and to represent the town that it was created in and for. I also think that having the marbles placed in a museum rather than on the Parthenon is more suitable for those who appreciate art and the beautiful marbles themselves.