Appeal of columnist H. Porter on the occasion of the touching of the Olympic flame

"The Greeks gave us the Olympic Games. Let's give them back the Parthenon Sculptures". With this title the "Observer" columnist Henry Porter, on the occasion of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the London Olympic Games, supports the return of the famous Sculptors, demolishing all the arguments that have been used to the contrary.

“Don't get me wrong, I don't want to attack the British Museum, which is a fact that it represents high levels of culture and has an amazing manager, Neil McGregor. But we should be honest with ourselves about the presence of so many Parthenon Sculptures in Britain.

»There are other sections of them in other European museums, but the greater part of this unique work has been here since it was forcibly removed by the Scottish lord Elgin two centuries ago.", the columnist clarifies.

Henry Porter then mentions that other works of art have not been acquired in the most "pure" way, however, the Parthenon Sculptures differ as they represent the highest level reached by man in the 5th century. B.C. and for approx 2.000 years since then.

"They represent the core of Greek culture and the heart of modern Greek identity. also, equally important, represent half of the edifice built between 447 and 432 e.g., marking the defeat of the Persians in Athens", Porter points out.

The columnist of the "Observer" also says that it is impressive that in the last five years fewer and fewer visitors support the stay of the works in Britain, mainly for reasons of patriotic occupation and less for love of art.

“And speaking of possession, they usually forget that the Sculptures ”they stood up” from the Parthenon when the Turks ruled the Greeks, who could not defend the emblems of their glorious past", states the columnist, paralleling them – in terms of misappropriation – to the looted works of art by the Nazis, but which were returned to their rightful owners.

Henry Porter also mentions journalist Christopher Hitchens, who died last December and had campaigned hard for the return of the Sculptures – and in an article in Vanity Fair three years ago he stressed that all arguments about their destruction by pollution and weathering no longer hold, due to the existence of the new Acropolis Museum.

Porter also dismisses the argument that their return would set a bad precedent. "Few works in the world come under the category of the Parthenon Sculptures, which inspire deep feelings of national loss and longing", completes.

And he suggests that everyone should ask themselves whether this behavior of Elgin would be acceptable today.

"Of course not", he answers, “nor shall we expect this effect of plunder to be maintained. So why do we keep these ill-gotten sculptures today;».

He states that with the economic impasse the country is facing today, maybe the time is not right for their return. But it supports the following: "In light of what Western civilization owes to Greece - democratic ideas, olympic games, science, art and architecture –, we have to face a simple truth: The Parthenon Sculptures are not ours to keep".

Source :tovima.gr