Lord Elgin Marbles Research Paper

Improved Essays
The Elgin Marbles are artifacts removed from the Greek Parthenon in the early 1800's and taken to England by the Ambassador to Constantinople. Lord Elgin wanted to save the priceless artifacts from complete destruction or removal. He then obtained permission from the occupying Turks to permanently remove the artifacts and keep them in England. Lord Elgin's collection was later bought by the British government and displayed for the public, where the marbles remain today.

The Elgin Marbles should remain in England for 2 reasons. The Parthenon had been transformed into a church. During this transformation, the original art work was destroyed to take out pagan figures to line up with Christian views. Once the Turks were in power, they turned the Parthenon into a mosque. In the late 1600's, the Turks were using the Parthenon as a gun powder storage and it was blown up by Venitian opposition. Knowing this history, Lord Elgin decided to take action and save the artifacts through legal means.
…show more content…
The Louvre in Paris also houses some of these artifacts. This provides a chance for more people to appreciate the art, along with other pieces from around the world. The British Museum not only has the Elgin Marbles, but also the Rosetta Stone The more access we have provides a better opportunity for people to better understand history.

In conclusion, the fact that the marbles were obtained through legal means and that it provides a chance for people to see many works of art in place, I believe that the Elgin Marbles should remain in England. Many could argue against England keeping these artifacts, I have provided adequate facts against

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Sutton Hoo Research Paper

    • 2071 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Sutton Hoo was located in Woodbridge, England, and it was discovered to be an Anglo-Saxon cemetery that dates from the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It was located on Edith Pretty’s estate, on a hill overlooking the River Deben, in Suffolk. Pretty had been curious about the mounds of earth located on her land, and she was not sure what they were. She decided to excavate the embankments on her otherwise flat property, and to her surprise, she discovered the archaeological treasures of Sutton Hoo. Sutton Hoo was thought to have been settled around 500 AD.…

    • 2071 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Elgin Marbles

    • 2526 Words
    • 11 Pages

    One of the exhibits at the British Museum that has attracted millions of visitors is the collection of sculptures from the Parthenon known as the Elgin Marbles. These marbles have been at the centre of debate for years over where they should reside. They are originally from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, and there is controversy over whether or not the Trustees of the British Museum legally acquired the collection. Lord Elgin’s illegitimate acquisition of the Parthenon sculptures along with the damage caused to the marbles support the argument to return them back to Athens where they can be viewed in their intended context. The Elgin Marbles are a symbol of national pride and history for the city of Athens that would attract tourists and…

    • 2526 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Writer, Christopher Hitchens opined that the Parthenon sculptures should be returned to the Parthenon in Greece in his book, called the “The Lovely Stones”. Christopher Hitchens efficiently builds his argument by using pathos, logos, ethos, and historical allusions. Hitchen begins his book by telling the audience a brief history of how the Parthenon became the detriment it is today. Hitchen draws the reader in by mentioning some of the events the once beautiful structure went through, such as the Turkish forces using the Parthenon as a garrison and an arsenal. In the brief history Hitchen gives you a description of the Parthenon today, he uses words like perverted, mutilated, tragic, and desolated.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dbq Museum

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Every museum’s sole purpose is known for as a housing of knowledge where generations are preserved within time and many come to experience what was once before them. Once inside, each artifact is publicly showcased, or even through the art a message is portrayed depicting a much greater message or telling of a story of those who lived before. The museum curator’s position and decision determines what shall be placed and the criteria behind it; the authenticity, the historical relevance and the finance all play a role in establishing the artifact in the museum. Throughout history, many archaeologists and developers travel the world in search of evidence of what could've been left behind.…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Art Museum as Ritual is an article written by Carol Duncan that questions the role and function of public museums. In this article, Duncan shows his dissatisfaction with the way museums use objects of art to come up with particular political meanings aimed at achieving a certain purpose. According to her, some nations came up with western style museums to be perceived as having desirable diplomatic or political allies. This essay summarizes the main ideas in the article by Carol Duncan, highlights my visit to a museum and analyzes two works of art stored in the museum.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Approximately two hundred years ago Lord Elgin relocated Marble sculptures from the Parthenon located in Athens. The Marbles are now located in a British Museum, however Lord Elgin was never granted permission to take the marbles from the rightful home in Athens. These important pieces of cultural artifacts should be returned to their country of origin, undoing a wrong done in the past. There is no doubt in my mind that when you evaluate the arguments for returning the marbles to Athens you will see the counter-argument has no substantial facts. The bottom line is it’s the right thing to do!…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “The Lovely Stones,” an article published in Wired magazine, Christopher Hitchens builds a persuasive argument that Britain should return the original historical pieces of the Parthenon to Greece. Hitchens utilizes effective organization, strong evidence, literary devices, and powerful diction to establish a legitimate argument. The clear logical reasoning of this passage enhances the quality of Hitchens’s article. He starts off strong with a quote that highlights the significance of the Parthenon to draw the reader’s attention.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Lovely Stones Summary

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Human civilization has been evolving for centuries through the use of new inventions and discoveries. With technology having only been around for a few decades, most of the information known about the past is from documents and structures around the world. The importance of keeping these artifacts in their original condition is stressed by author of “The Lovely Stones” Christopher Hitchens. Throughout his article on the importance of preserving buildings, he focuses on the Parthenon, a historic greek temple. His persuades his audience about the need to bring the Parthenon back together by emphasizing the perfection of the building, comparing the situation, and providing evidence that others are seeking to help as well.…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ancient Artifacts Essay

    • 1104 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The most important reason is the moral issue. Malcolm Bell, an art professor at the University of Virginia. According to his essay, “Who’s Right? Repatriation of Cultural Property”, he thinks all the antiquities should be returned to their original countries. In his opinion, “The ownership claim of a country of origin offers two benefits: It blocks the undocumented digging that destroys archeological sites and strips artifacts of their functional and historical contexts.…

    • 1104 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Nefertiti was an extremely powerful Queen during the eighteenth dynasty, and to this day she remains one of the most famous Egyptian Queens to have ever ruled. Nefertiti translates to “the beautiful woman has come”. She is suspected to have been very tall, thin, and she was known as the most beautiful woman in all of Egypt during her time. At age 15 she married Amenhotep who is later known as Akenhaton. Even though she was the wife of King Akenhaton, she along with other women played a surprisingly significant role in ancient Egyptian society.…

    • 2448 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a temple created for the goddess Athena, the Parthenon is one of the greatest structures of the ancient world and a symbol of ancient Greek culture. In the 1800s after the Parthenon was partially destroyed, Lord Elgin took pieces of the Parthenon back to London and is now in the British Museum. For centuries many people believe that the British Museum should return the Parthenon Marbles aka the Elgin Marbles back to Greece. These Marbles have great historical and cultural significance in Greece and it is where they belong. Lord Elgin had no right to remove the Marbles from the Parthenon to being with, getting permission from the Ottomans who were occupying Greece.…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The frieze, which used to be a vital component of the Parthenon's architecture, is known as the "Elgin Marbles" or the "Parthenon Marbles.” The marbles are the subject of a custody battle. Supporters of repatriation argue that the Parthenon Marbles are part of the fifth century Temple of Athena and thus can best be appreciated closer to their point of origin. Additionally, repatriation supporters assert that Greece has become experts at restoring other parts of the Parthenon whereas Britain's restoration efforts have resulted in damage to the marble. Opponents of repatriation assert the Parthenon Marbles are relics of the Athenian period thus are considered a relic of antiquity.…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Elgin Marbles also known as the Parthenon Marbles has caused a stir in their rightful ownership. They are a collection of ancient Greek sculptures that said to be taken from Athens to England by Thomas Bruce he was the 7th Earl of Elgin. The British is claiming rights on the sculptures due to documents of Bruce purchase. However, the Greek government would like for the marbles to be returned to their rightful home place. Since 1816 the Marbles has been beautifully displayed in a museum in London.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    According to some people cultural artifacts should be returned but according to others they shouldn’t be. Cultural artifacts should be returned to their regions of origin so the facts and information about the artifacts are factual and can easily be examined. The cultural artifacts have a special value from where they came, they should be restored back to their regions of origins. Cultural artifacts are important objects that should be returned to the regions. There has been debates on weather cultural artifacts should be returned to their regions where they came from or not.…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Greek and Roman empires has written their names in golden words in the world history and has brought huge legacy to humanity and they inspire almost of the world in one aspect or the other. The Parthenon and the Pantheon are two examples that portray how mighty those cultures were, with skillful artisans and avant-gardist thinker. Consider how the style and function (use) of each building serves as a typical example of its culture. The Parthenon was built 447-438 BC, by Iktinos, Kalikrates (diffen.com, n.d.) and present the cultural style and live of the Greek empire by that time.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays