Has someone lost their marbles?
THE Capital will play host to one of Britain’s leading authorities in classical archaeology later this week for a debate about the future of the Elgin Marbles. Anthony Snodgrass, professor emeritus in classical archaeology at the University of Cambridge, will speak on the hotly contested issue at the Edinburgh College of Art on Thursday.
– The Scotsman
I tend to be on the side of returning the marbles, at least until the pro-return lobby starts speaking. The worst example of lobbying for the return was in 1994 (I think) in during the campaign for the European Elections. It’s around this time when all British politics gets highly xenophobic as political parties try and outdo each other in their condemnation of Brussels. It was at this time that the Greek government claimed it had EU backing for the return of the marbles. If you ever wanted to make sure you lost your case (and thus ensure you have plenty to whinge about in future years), this was the perfect way to do it. Another triumph for bad diplomacy was building a museum to house the marbles before a return was agreed. Even if the proposed site hadn’t involved demolishing a lot of important archaeological remains it is still tactless. Marbles Reunited puts forward a better case with its Q&A section.
Isn’t the issue that the Marbles were stolen and should be returned to their rightful owners ? No. Ownership is no longer the issue. The real issue with the Parthenon Sculptures is whether they can best be viewed in approximately two halves housed in different countries many hundreds of miles apart, or whether they can be better appreciated in one complete artform displayed in a new, purpose-built museum in direct eye view of their original historical site.
I think this is the most powerful argument for their return. The British Museum display simply isn’t very good. Arguments put forward by the Museum’s Director like: “The British Museum is a truly universal museum of humanity, accessible to five million visitors from around the world every year entirely free of entry charge,” invite Tokyo, Mexico City or New York to create a free museum and house everything from the British Museum there.
Another factor is whether or not the marbles were legally taken, they are perceived by many to be illegally taken. The British Museum’s argument that the Parthenon Marbles aren’t a special case doesn’t help, because in turn that justifies the removal of artefacts from countries all over the world to richer sites. It may be an unjust slur on Lord Elgin’s morality, but someone in the BM needs to be big enough to be able to take it to help send a message to those who unquestionably engage in illicit activity.
Ultimately if the return is to happen, then the argument has to be won by showing that it is right now for the marbles to return, rather than argue over past restorations or the method of removal. It also needs to move on from the attitude of one side having to beat the other, an accusation which can be levelled at both sides. Perhaps a 99 year loan would be a solution, so that the principle that the marbles return to the UK is in place. If, in 99 years, the argument has moved on then perhaps a return won’t be necessary. —–
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