Removal of the Elgin Marbles: What Happened
Between 1801 and 1812, agents of Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin and British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed about half of the surviving sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, along with other pieces from the Acropolis, and shipped them to Britain. Elgin claimed that the Ottoman authorities had given him permission, based on a document, known as a firman, that survives only in an Italian translation. Historians still debate whether it actually permitted such large-scale removal. The sculptures, carved under the direction of Phidias in the 5th century BC, included much of the frieze, statues from the pediments and metopes. Elgin, deep in debt, sold them to the British government in 1816, and they have been displayed in the British Museum in London ever since. Greece has formally requested their return for decades, and in 2009 it opened the Acropolis Museum, with space prepared to reunite them with the originals kept in Athens. The British Museum has maintained that they were legally acquired. The dispute is one of the most famous debates about cultural heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Elgin Marbles?
The Elgin Marbles, also called the Parthenon Marbles, are sculptures removed from the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings between 1801 and 1812 by agents of Lord Elgin.
Who was Lord Elgin?
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Deep in debt, he sold the sculptures to the British government in 1816.
Did Lord Elgin have permission to remove the marbles?
Elgin claimed Ottoman permission through a document called a firman, which survives only in an Italian translation. Historians debate whether it allowed such large-scale removal.
Where are the Parthenon Marbles today?
About half of the surviving Parthenon sculptures are in the British Museum in London. Most of the rest are in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Will the Parthenon Marbles return to Greece?
Greece has requested their return for decades and built the Acropolis Museum partly to display them. The British Museum maintains they were legally acquired, and the dispute continues.
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