Britain Is In Possession Of The Parthenon Marbles

I am writing to you to insist upon the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece which are currently in the British Museum. This is imperative due to the ethical and cultural issues of the marbles belonging to Greece, they are part of Greek history and should be displayed in their homeland. Another issue is the legality of the possession of the marbles of which is still debated to this very day. The last of my criticism is on the condition the marbles have been kept in since brought to Britain.

There are many moral problems concerning the possession of the Parthenon marbles by the British museum. The parthenon marbles have been an element of Greek history since 500 BC and although deteriorated from time and conflict, still represents the culture of Greece. The Parthenon Marbles was a temple of worship to the goddess Athena and had also served as a Christian church and a Muslim mosque during the 1600’s emphasising the cultural and religous value of this antique artifact. Therefore, it is immoral and unethical of the British museum to possess the Parthenon Marbles of which they have no historical relation to.

There are many legal question marks over the course of which Elgin obtained the Parthenon marbles, however there is supporting evidence justifying his actions as illegal. The British Museum claims that Lord Elgin did not “steal” the Parthenon Marbles but took them with the complete knowledge and permission of the Ottoman empire. However a document from 1801 signed by Sultan of the Ottoman empire proves this to be false as it clearly states that Elgin was only granted approval to collect marbles from the ground. Although the genuineness of this document is still debatable, it is highly doubtful Sultan would allow such a significant artifact of greek history to be shipped off to a foreign country. Overall, Although it is not certain whether Elgin’s actions were legal or not, due to supporting evidence, there is a highly possibility that his looting was not approved and plausible to be illegal.

The Parthenon marbles have survived through wars and conflict,yet still suffered through further degradation due to poor administration and care of the marbles under the British Museum. The Parthenon Marbles are fragile yet still were neglected while in the responsibility of Elgin. The priceless marbles were stored in Elgin’s coal shed for multiple years while he attempted to sell them to the British Government, further deteriorating these valuable artifacts. The Greek Government has been gradually working towards the restitution of the Acropolis taking higher responsibility of the marbles than Elgin. Thus, The Greek have been much more successful in the recovery of the Parthenon Marbles and should reclaim their rightful ownership of the marbles before any further damage.

To conclude, it is immoral and unethical for Britain to be in possession of the Parthenon Marbles as they have insufficient association with their history and culture. Furthermore, the legal concerns of how Elgin acquired the Marbles is still questionable, aiding evidence indicates that Elgin’s actions were unlawful. Last but not least, the Parthenon Marbles have only declined in quality in Elgin’s care after neglected, displaying England as inadequate owners of the marbles. Thus, through all this reasoning I anticipate for you to recognize the importance of the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles back to their homeland, Greece.