The 7th Earl of Elgin, Thomas Bruce (photo below), forcibly removed the Parthenon Marble pieces from the Acropolis, causing a great deal of damage to the site in the process. He claimed to have obtained a permit from the Ottoman authorities in 1801, however many doubt the authenticity of this document that has been lost. The illegal excavation and removal was completed in 1812 and the sculptures were shipped to Britain.
The British Museum’s signs (below) may claim that the marbles were “saved” by Lord Elgin but the truth is they were nearly destroyed forever in 1802 when one of the ships chartered by the British aristocrat sank off the coast of the southern Peloponnese. The sunken ship, the Mentor, sank offCape Tainaro and the precious cargo was trapped in the wreckage for two years. Lord Elgin paid exorbitant amounts to Kalmynos sponge divers to reach the depths of over twenty meters to salvage the marbles from the sea bed.
Most of the cargo was recovered, however some believe that the two-and-a-half year salvage project may have been responsible for Elgin’s financial ruin that led to his decision to sell the Parthenon Marbles to the British Museum in 1816 for a very low price.
In Greece, the aristocrat was immediately accused of looting and vandalism. Formal efforts for their repatriation had begun by the first king of Greece, Otto of Bavaria. A green folder titled “Akropolis von Athen” contains 223 formal documents calling for the return of the marbles from 1834 to 1842 proving that Greece had sought their return for 180 years.
In more recent times, actress-turned-politician Melina Mercouri launched a restitution campaign.
State archaeologists from the Greek Ministry of Culture had asked to borrow the Parthenon Marbles prior to the 2004 Athens Olympics in exchange for a pick of 32,000 statues and vases dating back to the 5th century B.C. but the offer was rejected.
The latest bid for the return of the Parthenon Marbles is being handled by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and her colleagues from the Doughty Street Chambers.
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