Modified:
22 Feb 2010
by Elikon
Vote totals:
Yes:
67%
No:
33%
Neutral:
0%
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DEBATE: SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
Posted by: Fanya
Karma:
10
The Elgin Marbles have played a vital role of the historical content of Greece between 447 and 432BCE until 1801 when Lord Elgin the so called 'art lover' obtained them by sawing them off.
The Elgin marbles belonged to a prehitoric site named the Parthenon which was dedicated to the goddess Athena, who is the goddess of wisdom, a goddess of crafts, as well as a war goddess.
So for the return of these marbles there has been a commitee which was established in 1994 by a Greek actress who strongly believed that the marbles should be returned to Greece,
However these are not the first artefacts that Britain Possesses,
The British Museum also contains many other artefacts from ancient Greece as well as many artefacts from the egyptian amarna period and Babylonian artefacts.
These are the reasons for return or against return:
Executive Summary
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All the Yes points
All the No points
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
For return, Cultural importance
The cultural importance of the marbles are very strong, not only do they posses the power to almost unlock the past of ancient Greece but as well they have the power to unite the local Citizens of Greece to their true heritage.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
Other museums have returned them!!
Cultural treasures from ancient civilisations belong in the places they came from.
Museums in Sweden, Germany, America and the Vatican have already acknowledged this and returned items taken from the Acropolis.
The British museum should follow suit and put an end to more than two centuries of Cultural loss in Greece.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
They would be looked after suitably
Since 1975 Greece has been carefully restoring the Acropolis.
Athens now has a secure enviroment to maintain the marbles,
The New Acropolis Museum contains a replica of the temple thus the marbles would appear as being exactly the same as on the real temple.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
The marbles has suffered considerable damage in the British Museum
In the 19th Century the British museums attempt to clean them using sandpaper, chisels and acid, caused irreparable damage.
Which Illustrates the incability of this museums care for the precious marbles,
On the other hand the Greek museums would take a countless amount of care of them because of their Elongated wait for them as well they have proved their love for them.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
They don't assimilate in the British Museum
In the British Museum, If you have ever seen a video or picture of how the marbles appear with their sorroundings,
Then you will immediately sense that these marbles just look like priceless rocks with their tedious sorroundings.
On the other hand if they were placed on their natrual enviroment then they would appear as they truly should.
But the British museum is visited far more than the Greek museum. More people would be able to appreciate the marbles if they remained in the British Museum.
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
It is still uncertain whether Lord Elgin acquired the permission to obtain the Marbles.
It is still doubtful whether Lord Elgin was ever truly granted permission to take the marbles. The existing English translation of the 1801 document supposedly signed by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire has often been denounced as a fake. Furthermore, even if it is genuine, the royal decree gives permission mainly "to examine and view, and also to copy the figures remaining there". So it is unlikely that the Sultan ever thought that Elgin would actually remove entire frescos and sculptures.
Thus as much as it is doubtful that Lord Elgin ever truly was granted permission to take the marbles,
There is a a version translated into Italian and then into English which states: "when they wish to take away any pieces of stone with old inscriptions or figures thereon, that no opposition be made thereto."
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
Economically wise it is unfair!!
Millions of people flock to Britain annually to catch a glimpse of these fabulous marbles,
whilst Greece is left with not such an abundance of tourists.
So why should Britain be earning so much profit when The Greek civilizations were the ones who originally formed them.well then if you want it to be more available to a larger group of people send them over to China or india, where they will be viewed by millions more!
I think you'll find that tourists don't 'flock to Britain' especially to see the marbles. Had the marbles not been in the British Museum it would remain as popular as it is now. You may say, well then it doesn't matter if they lose the marbles to the Greek museum... But the museum doesn't strive soley to make a profit from displaying the artefacts. The artefacts belong to a WORLD heritage that anyone deserves to see. And many more people will see the marbles in the British museum.
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
Absurd
Why should modern Greeks who have no connection to the Ancient Greeks, other than inhabiting the same piece of land, lay claim to these Hellenistic treasures. Modern Greeks are essentially slavs with no ethnic and little cultural connection to the likes of Sophocles and Euripides. Their claim is comparable to a couple who have just bought a house demanding that the old furniture (whom ever it belongs to now) be returned.
What right does Britain have to them, then? Surely their cultural connection to the pieces is even less than that of the Greeks, and they only have them because they abducted them from Greece (the circumstances of which are more than a little shady). Greece at least has the claim that it houses the ruins from whence the marbles came, and that regardless of the people living there now, they are a part of the history of the land itself.
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
The British museum doesn't want to set a precedent.
Well then make replicas and display them at the place of the originals. Every country should be entitled to reclaim their artefacts.
The museum still contains many other artefacts from past civilizations,
so if they return the Elgin Marbles then they would have to do the same for everything else.
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
The set will never be complete.
And it is the British who are at responsible for lost items.
Even if the British return these priceless marbles then the set will never be complete because many of the pieces to the Acropolis are lost forever.
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
They protected it!!
The British civilization protected them between 1821 and 1833 when The Greek War of Independence was occuring and the Parthenon was used as an Ottoman munitions store and subsequently attacked.
Subsequently the museum is much better care for them opposed to highly polluted Greece.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
The Law!!
that is a stupid rule!!!!!! thats like saying "we'll take your artifacts and oh no our guidelines state that we cant give it back."
The British Museums charter implies that the institution cannot legally return items from its collection: "The Trustees of The British Museum hold its collections in perpetuity by virtue of the power vested in them by The British Museum Act (1963)."
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
SHOULD THE ELGIN MARBLES BE RETURNED TO GREECE??
Possibility of Damage of Elgin Marbles
The new Acropolis Museum is a 21st century museum and the excuse of the improper safe and maintenace of the marbles doesn't excist any more. The marbles, beacause of the british have been damaged more than the marbles which are in Athens and the differences are visible in just a sightThe british were careless when they stole the artefacts, losing a ship load at sea when they were being transported.
This might happen in transport, and also Greece does not consider the importance of proper maintenance of such items as highly as other countries, including the UK, who are more committed to ensuring the proper maintenance of such items.
Transporting these items is risky due to the possibility of theft or damage during the transportation of these items.
What do you think? Vote on this point below.
Vote on the overall debate: Should the elgin marbles be returned to Greece??
What do you think? Vote on this debate below.
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|06:02, 20 February 09
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