Stephen Fry lends support to Greek calls to return Elgin marbles to Athens

[neoptolemos]

Stephen Fry lends support to Greek calls to return Elgin marbles to Athens

London 2012 Olympics are an opportunity to 'redress a great wrong' and give back Parthenon sculptures, says British actor



Greek campaigners seeking the return of the Parthenon marbles have renewed their efforts with an open letter imploring David Cameron to back the restitution of the classical carvings "to their historic home in Athens".
Stephen Fry is lending his support for the return of what are also known as the Elgin marbles.
Weighing in to one of the world's most controversial cultural disputes, the actor proposed that Britain "redress a great wrong" by using the occasion of the 2012 London Olympics to give up the fifth-century masterpieces. Nearly 200 years after the sculptures were acquired by the British Museum their return would not only be "classy", he argued, but a much-needed morale booster for a country mired in crisis.
"Stephen Fry knows more about this issue than most Greeks," said Alexis Mantheakis, who chairs the International Parthenon Sculptures Action Committee. "He makes the superb point that the London Olympics would be a perfect opportunity for Britain to magnanimously put an end to what Greeks and the majority of people in the EU, including the UK, see as a historical wrongdoing."
In the letter, the campaigning group cites a lengthy essay, Greece is the Word, that Fry recently penned on the issue.
"The Hellenic republic today is in heart-rending turmoil, a humiliating sovereign debt crisis has brought Greece to the brink of absolute ruin. This proud, beautiful nation for which Byron laid down his life is in a condition much like the one for which he mourned when they [the Greeks] were under the Ottoman yoke in the early 19th century," the actor wrote.
In its darkest hour, he said, Greece was now "owed" by Britain.
"What greater gesture could be made to Greece in its appalling finance distress? An act of friendship, atonement and an expression of faith in the future of the cradle of democracy would be so, well just so damned classy."
Global advocates of the antiquities' repatriation have pledged to step up pressure on the British government ahead of the July 27 opening of the Olympic Games.
In Sydney at the weekend, activists launched a new push to reinvigorate the campaign. Committees from around the world, including Australia and the US, announced they will meet in London in June to decide how best to promote the "noble cause."
Designed by Pericles's master sculptor, Phidias, the marbles were part of a monumental frieze that adorned the Parthenon. In 1801, they were removed from the Acropolis by Lord Elgin, then British ambassador to the Ottoman empire.
More than 60% of the frieze is now on display in Bloomsbury, while an ultra-modern museum, custom-built to exhibit the artworks at the foot of the Acropolis, has had to make do with giant plaster-cast copies.
With the Greek government noticeably abstaining from the dispute in recent years – with officials invariably citing Athens's dire financial straits – citizens exploiting social media have stepped into the breach. Mantheakis's own group has attracted 215,000 members worldwide since its foundation in 2009.
"Prime minister, history and future generations will honour you, as will Greece, if you take that one small but monumental step of amending the 1933 Museums Act to allow for the return of the Parthenon sculptures," said his open letter.
"If Britain could give back India, then surely the emptying of one room of a London museum is a small price to pay to right a historical wrong."


Helena Smith in Athens

The olympics are a good chance Britain!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesi...marbles-greece


Why is this important.Take a look on the masterpiece as a complete set in this brilliant site and application:
(English version on the bottom right corner)
http://www.parthenonfrieze.gr/#/home

[Kaukas]

Will Greece government cover mailing costs?

[neoptolemos]

Will Greece government cover mailing costs?

Greece will use the "Royal Mail Olympic Super Saver"

Seriously though i don't think that this would be a problem.

Stephen Fry is a meddling, interfering, irritating little man who spouts incorrect and socialist advocacy at every chance he gets.

Ι already like the guy, you don't need to convince me!

[Vizsla]

Greece will use the "Royal Mail Olympic Super Saver"

Unfortunately the Royal Mail doesn’t take IOUs.

Insert 'setting the precedent, slippery slope argument' here.
It would be a shame if every object in every museum in the entire world had to go back to the geographical location of their country of origin.

[Manuel I Komnenos]

Unfortunately the Royal Mail doesn’t take IOUs.

Insert 'setting the precedent, slippery slope argument' here.
It would be a shame if every object in every museum in the entire world had to go back to the geographical location of their country of origin.

Parthenon is still there standing, so it only makes sense that every action towards restoring it should be done.

[molonthegreat]

Unfortunately the Royal Mail doesn’t take IOUs.

Insert 'setting the precedent, slippery slope argument' here.
It would be a shame if every object in every museum in the entire world had to go back to the geographical location of their country of origin.

Yep, furthermore in many cases it was those museums that saved the artifacts when they were otherwise being destroyed.

[Tiberios]

What is it with actors and celebrities meddling in everything lately? Not long ago we had Sean Penn and his idiotic statement about the Falklands.

[♖The Balkan Sobranie♖]

Stephen Fry is a meddling, interfering, irritating little man who spouts incorrect and socialist advocacy at every chance he gets.

[Dubh the dark]

Stephen Fry is a meddling, interfering, irritating little man who spouts incorrect and socialist advocacy at every chance he gets.

I disagree on all points. I believe he's quite astute and quite right.

[justicar5]

Stephen Fry is a meddling, interfering, irritating little man who spouts incorrect and socialist advocacy at every chance he gets.

HEY he saved my favourite pub! So he is a legend. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17366992

[imb39]

Stephen Fry is a meddling, interfering, irritating little man who spouts incorrect and socialist advocacy at every chance he gets.

And with this declaration he has already won the argument if this is what you have to offer.

As ever, there are things to balance out. On the one hand it would be great to have the Marbles returned to Greece but then that leaves the way for repatriation for other objects too. Sure, it could be argued that they were stolen (this is not quite so true for the Marbles - I'm sure Greeks would disagree over that) but if all objects in that category were repatriated then there would be virtually nothing left in any of the great British Musuems (including the British Murseum itself) and amazing centres for learning will be diminished on an incalcable scale.

I find it amazing that I can walk into one room of the British Museum to find artefacts from all of the 7 Wonders of the World. It would be a travesty if that collection were to be broken up. It is anamazinf attribute of many museums that their collections contain artefacts from different eras which helps with the study of the past.

I think, on balance, I would be inclined to keep the Marbles but I accept that ethically I am on very dodgy ground.

Oh, and just to confirm, I regard Stephen Fry as almost godlike! Certainly more learned than most of us (not all, but most).

[Manuel I Komnenos]

And with this declaration he has already won the argument if this is what you have to offer.

As ever, there are things to balance out. On the one hand it would be great to have the Marbles returned to Greece but then that leaves the way for repatriation for other objects too. Sure, it could be argued that they were stolen (this is not quite so true for the Marbles - I'm sure Greeks would disagree over that) but if all objects in that category were repatriated then there would be virtually nothing left in any of the great British Musuems (including the British Murseum itself) and amazing centres for learning will be diminished on an incalcable scale.

I find it amazing that I can walk into one room of the British Museum to find artefacts from all of the 7 Wonders of the World. It would be a travesty if that collection were to be broken up. It is anamazinf attribute of many museums that their collections contain artefacts from different eras which helps with the study of the past.

I think, on balance, I would be inclined to keep the Marbles but I accept that ethically I am on very dodgy ground.

Oh, and just to confirm, I regard Stephen Fry as almost godlike! Certainly more learned than most of us (not all, but most).

Museums often loan a wide collection of artifacts to other museums so it's not like the British Museum would suddenly become empty. I'm pretty sure Greece could -and I think it already does with other artifacts- loan the to be-returned marbles back to British Museum for certain periods.

[Markas]

"Stephen Fry knows more about this issue than most Greeks," said Alexis Mantheakis, who chairs the International Parthenon Sculptures Action Committee. "He makes the superb point that the London Olympics would be a perfect opportunity for Britain to magnanimously put an end to what Greeks and the majority of people in the EU, including the UK, see as a historical wrongdoing."

Hyperbole methinks. France (Various artifacts including 3200 year-old wall reliefs) and Germany (Nefertiti Bust) are both under pressure to return ancient artifacts to other countries and are usually mute on the issue. I have no particularly strong feelings either way and considering the the greeks are in at the moment it would be a classy move to give them the Marbles, as Mr. Fry says.

[molonthegreat]

How is what some random celebrity think even political? Furthermore Britain acquired them legally before Greece was independent and considering how volatile the situation is in Greece right now they're much safer in the British museum.

[alhoon]

Furthermore Britain acquired them legally before Greece was independent

Now, they stole them.

considering how volatile the situation is in Greece right now they're much safer in the British museum.

Have you been to the Acropolis museum? I bet not.
No, they're much safer with us and we will take better care of them than English that feel no connection with them.

[imb39]

Now, they stole them.

Yes and no...

They were acquired from the Ottomans who were in defacto control over them. Had been for a considerable period of time.

[molonthegreat]

Now, they stole them.



Have you been to the Acropolis museum? I bet not.
No, they're much safer with us and we will take better care of them than English that feel no connection with them.

They acquired them with the consent from the legal government that who ruled Greece at the time and the British have been in control and had a connection for them longer than there has been an independent Greek state.

[Stavroforos]

They acquired them with the consent from the legal government that who ruled Greece at the time and the British have been in control and had a connection for them longer than there has been an independent Greek state.

The English kept some Scottish rock for 600 years, and yet they returned it to them, though they had kept it for such a long time.

Granted, you can't really compare the pinnacle of classical civilization with a rock.

[The Noble Lord]

The English kept some Scottish rock for 600 years, and yet they returned it to them, though they had kept it for such a long time.

Granted, you can't really compare the pinnacle of classical civilization with a rock.

Yes, they did return that rock to Scotland which makes it even more strange why are they reluctant to return the marbles to their home! Uhh, I can only imagine if somebody had something British in possession, how indignant British politicians would be and how they would call "on International law" to be applied and all sorts of indignations and International treaties like they did in regards to the Malvinas islands.
Heh, the British, sometimes it's like they don't realize that this is not the time of Benjamin Disraeli and time of colonialism and cheating others!!

[alhoon]

They acquired them with the consent from the legal government that who ruled Greece at the time and the British have been in control and had a connection for them longer than there has been an independent Greek state.

They aquired them from our conquerors and they have no connection with them except to look at them as trophies while we see the work of our ancestors there.