Parthenon Marbles Could Go Home
The British Museum is Willing to "Lend" Them to Athens
The so-called "Elgin Marbles", removed from the Athenian Acropolis by Lord Elgin of Britain in the 19th century, might get a chance to at least visit Athens.
The British Museum says it is willing to lend the Elgin Marbles to Athens, for a little while anyway.
The marbles, also known as the Parthenon Marbles, come from the pedimental sculpture of the beloved Parthenon. Taken to Britain from Athens by Lord Elgin in the 19th century (between 1803 and 1812) the marbles were "restored" and have had a home in the British Museum ever since. This has been a source of great contention between Athens, who believes they own them rightfully and should have them back permanently, and Britain, who claims they were taken legally, and have actually benefited from not being in the harsh Athenian weather conditions for the 200 years.
Interestingly, what little of the marbles that do remain in Athens have held up rather well in the last years. In fact, some of the original paint can still be seen on them, as well as a great deal of the sculptural details, unlike on the Elgin marbles, whose outer layer of marble was scraped off in an attempt to "restore" the pieces and render them white, as most people envision Greek sculpture.
In the meantime, the British Museum is more than willing to lend them to Athens, as they would any piece from the museum to any other museum.
