Lord Thomas Elgin, the British negotiator, had his emissaries take bucketloads of antique art from Athens. A significant number of sculptures from the Parthenon, the sanctuary of the divine Athena, which perched on the Acropolis peak in the center of the city, were the crown jewels of this collection. Lord Elgin, two centuries ago, relocated much of the statuary that decorated the Parthenon in Athens to London (Solomon, par. 9). This event has sparked much conjecture as to whether it was an act of a savior or vandalism. While Elgin may or may not have had good intentions, he undoubtedly prevented further harm to the artwork. However, in their haste to remove what they could, his operatives eventually caused more damage to the already precarious structure by prying out some of the parts that were still in place.
Elgin obtained a royal edict from the Sultan authorizing the removal of stones by saying that the act was a formal gratitude for Britain’s victory over French troops in Egypt. Subsequently, the British government paid to have the marble bought and given to the British Museum (Solomon, par. 1). Since they were first transported to British, the Elgin Marbles have been the subject of heated discussion. It is improbable that British site clearing, transport, and protection have done more damage to the marbles than the thousands of years of exposure to environmental hazards on the Acropolis. Lord Byron was the most prominent of his contemporaries to argue that he had not actually saved the stones. He accused Elgin of vandalism, stating that “walls defaced, thy mouldering shrines removed By British hands” (Loxton, par. 13). Furthermore, he suggested that the stones should not have been handled at all.
By extension, the point made by Lord Byron is that specialists should not have tried to preserve the stones either. Without Elgin’s intervention, the Grecian artifacts known as the Parthenon Marbles would have been lost to history. Actually, if the statues had stayed in Greece, they would have been exposed to the chaos of the Greek War of Independence. Parthenon stones would have likely been obliterated if they had survived the building’s use as a weapons depot. As Athens expanded and produced more pollution, the uncovered statues in the Parthenon were exposed to a horrible process of deterioration (Tsakiri and Papadimas, par. 2). The issue of museums’ proper function and who should own cultural artifacts was also raised.
Recent years have seen renewed and increasingly strident demands for the repatriation of the marbles to Greece. However, whether or not Elgin’s activities were lawful is a major point of debate. Even though Elgin said he had permission from the Sultan, no one knows for sure because he never showed it to a wider public. To be fair, Elgin’s deeds must be evaluated in the context of the era in which he was a resident. Elgin was not the only person to touch the artwork inside the Parthenon. Travelers and antiquarians were known to take whatever they wanted, so it is possible that sculptures from the Parthenon are now on display in institutions all over the globe. In addition, the locals used the area as a mine, recycling many of the initial stones in local construction or burning them to produce cement for buildings (Loxton, par. 29). As a result, it is unclear what would have happened to the rest of the marbles if they had remained in Athens, although they are on exhibit to this day in a museum in Britain.
When the Elgin Marbles were brought to Britain, it can be seen as more than just a preservationist gesture; it was also an act of cultural dissemination that stood in opposition to the destruction that had occurred. Distributing artworks outside of their original context is not a heinous act that must be stopped at all costs. The British Museum, along with other institutions like it, should be commended for their efforts to promote global understanding. The statues from the Parthenon are on display in the British Museum, where they are not limited to national symbols but are instead accessible to all for study and appreciation within a rich comparative framework. In addition, repair and preservation work continues to the present day. Therefore, Elgin’s actions have had a generally beneficial impact on the ability to exhibit cultural artifacts and preserve them for future generations, which goes against the nature of vandalism.
Summing up, the bulk of the remaining sculptures from the Parthenon were saved from any further corrosion and ruin owing to Elgin, regardless of his motivations. As the reasoning goes, had the marbles stayed in Athens, they would have met the same destiny as other antique works of art: destruction and mutilation. The following display at the British Museum can be regarded as one of Elgin’s most important gifts to the knowledge of ancient Greek culture. The contemporary audience might not have fully appreciated the marbles’ creative brilliance had they not been on display at the British Museum. Lord Engin’s initiative eventually served to promote cross-cultural comprehension and collaboration, putting his motives aside. To take Elgin’s lead and remove the pedimental statues and stones from the Parthenon was indeed an essential and suitable step.
Works Cited
Loxton, Alice. “Why are the Parthenon marbles so controversial?” History Hit, 2021, par. 13-29, Web.
Solomon, Tessa. “How did the Parthenon marbles end up in the British museum?” ARTnews, 2021, par. 1-9, Web.
Tsakiri, Idyli, and Lefteris Papadimas. “Air pollution, droughts and rains are washing away ancient Greek monuments.” World Economic Forum, 2020, par. 2, Web.