Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
The Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, are among the most contested and controversial artworks in the world. They are a source of pride and pain, of admiration and resentment, of diplomacy and dispute. They are also a symbol of the complex and often fraught relationship between the UK and Greece, two countries that share a long and intertwined history, but also a deep and enduring disagreement over the fate of these ancient treasures.
The sculptures are a collection of marble statues, friezes and pediments that once adorned the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena on the Acropolis of Athens. They date back to the 5th century BC, and are considered masterpieces of classical art and architecture. They depict scenes from Greek mythology, history and religion, and reflect the ideals and values of Athenian democracy and culture.
The sculptures were removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece at the time, between 1801 and 1812. He claimed he had obtained permission from the Ottoman authorities to take them, but this has been disputed by the Greeks, who say he acted without proper consent and damaged the monument in the process. He sold them to the British government in 1816, and they have been on display in the British Museum ever since.
Greece has been demanding the return of the sculptures since it gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832. It argues that the sculptures are part of its national identity and heritage, and that they belong in their original context, where they can be reunited with the remaining fragments that are still in Athens. It also claims that the sculptures have suffered from pollution and neglect in the British Museum, and that they would be better preserved and presented in the new Acropolis Museum, which opened in 2009.
The UK has refused to give up the sculptures, arguing that they were legally acquired and that they are the property of the British Museum, which is an independent institution and not subject to government interference. It also claims that the sculptures are well-cared for and accessible to millions of visitors from around the world, and that they are part of a universal collection that showcases the diversity and interconnectedness of human cultures.
The latest episode in this saga occurred this week, when Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, cancelled a meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek Prime Minister, over the issue. The meeting was supposed to take place on Tuesday in London, and was expected to cover a range of topics, such as the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, the climate crisis, and migration.
However, Sunak was reportedly annoyed by Mitsotakis’s comments on the BBC on Sunday, when he reiterated his demand for the return of the sculptures, and compared having some of them in London and others in Athens to cutting the Mona Lisa in half. Sunak decided to scrap the meeting, and offered an alternative meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, but Mitsotakis declined.
Mitsotakis expressed his disappointment and said he was ready to engage in a constructive dialogue with Sunak on the issue, as well as on other global challenges. He said: “Greece and Britain share longstanding ties of friendship, and the scope of our bilateral relations is extensive. Our positions on the matter of the Parthenon Sculptures are well-known. I had anticipated engaging in a discussion with my British counterpart on this issue, as well as addressing significant global challenges such as the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, the climate crisis, and migration.”
The row has sparked criticism and ridicule from both sides, with some accusing Sunak of being petty and small-minded, and others accusing Mitsotakis of using the sculptures as a distraction from his domestic problems. Some have also questioned the timing and the relevance of the issue, given the more pressing and urgent crises that the world is facing.
The Parthenon Sculptures are more than just artworks. They are a political pawn, a cultural weapon, a historical wound. They are a reflection of the past, but also a projection of the present. They are a test of the relationship between the UK and Greece, but also a challenge for the international community. They are a matter of pride, but also a source of pain. They are a question of ownership, but also a quest for justice. They are a problem, but also a possibility. They are a dilemma, but also a dialogue.
