Just before the first lockdown, I went
to see the Elgin Marbles in the British
Museum with a Greek friend. Though I
had never been happy about them being
in London, it was a visceral shock to see them through
Greek eyes. The Parthenon Sculptures (let’s call them as
they should be named) seemed diminished in the austere
Duveen Gallery on a cold Bloomsbury afternoon, rather
than in the light of Attica. The feeling was inescapable.
They are in the wrong place.
Of course, the museums created in the colonial era are
full of treasures from other countries looted by Europeans.
Calls for the return of artefacts are growing everywhere as
the world wakes up to what the European powers did dur-
ing the age of imperialism. Indeed, some of the so-called
Benin Bronzes seized during the punitive raid of 1897 have
been handed back to Nigeria, with more to follow.
The case of the Parthenon Sculptures, though, is
unique. They are bound up with Greek identity. As the
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said, they
are the pre-eminent symbol of the link between the Greek
people and their past. Built in the age of Pericles, the
Parthenon was the city shrine of Athens – the greatest
ancient centre of Greek culture. Later a church, then a
mosque, it remained largely intact until it was blown up in
a siege in 1687. The sculptures were removed by Lord Elgin
between 1801 and 1805, during the period when Greece
was occupied by the Turks.Soon after, in 1821, the Greek War of Independence
began – the first of the great modern liberation movements,
fought with incredible courage and resolution on the part
of the Greek people. The Parthenon symbolised what
Greece meant not only to them but to the whole world.
So for the small state that gained independence in 1832 –
albeit without the north, without Crete and the Dodeca-
nese, and without Constantinople, the “capital of memo-
ry”, which never came back – one of the first acts was to
restore the Acropolis and its shattered temple of Athena.
During the Second World War it was suggested that the
sculptures should be returned; nothing came of that. My
feeling now is that we should make it happen. Let’s not see
it as a concession made through gritted teeth, but as a
magnanimous act by the British people that acknowledges
our historic debt to Greece. It will make the UK feel good; it
will make the world a better place. Dare I even suggest that
the move could be a plus for the vaunted “Global Britain”?
Boris Johnson has previously stated his opposition to
the sculptures’ return. They belong to the world, he has
argued, and London is as good a place as any for them to
remain. By far the best place, though, is surely Athens,
where all the sculptures could be united under one roof
in the beautiful museum? The prime minister has also
expressed concerns that moving the sculptures would
enfeeble the British Museum’s collection. But would it?
Most people do not go to the British Museum to see the
sculptures, whereas they are uniquely important to
Greeks. Indeed, in my view, its status as “Museum of the
World ” would be enhanced by such a gesture: it would
emphasise that the sculptures are the legacy of all human-
ity, and that giving them back is the right thing to do.
Times and attitudes have changed.
So I propose two points to ponder. First, we should
see this as an international effort. Though most of
the sculptures are in London and Athens, there are
pieces in the Vatican, the Louvre, Vienna, Würzburg
and Copenhagen. Let’s give them all back, so every-
one contributes.
Second, consider the timescale. The 200th anniversary
of the start of the Greek War of Independence has just
been celebrated. The war ended in 1829, and the Treaty of
Constantinople gave Greece her freedom in 1832. Now,
10 years may seem a long time to wait, but repatriation will
take time. So let’s start talking now and build up to a great
celebration of the Greek spirit on the 2032 anniversary.
By that time, the sculptures could have been installed in
sight of the Acropolis where they were created almost
2,500 years ago – back in the divine light of Attica.MICHAEL WOOD ON...
THE FUTURE OF THE PARTHENON SCULPTURESThe case is unique: the sculptures
are bound up with Greek identity
ILLUSTRATION BY FEMKE DE JONGT
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Michael Wood
is professor of
public history at
the University of
Manchester. He
has presented
numerous BBC
series, and his
latest book is
The Story of
China (Simon &
Schuster, 2021).
His Twitter handle
is @mayavisionWhat do you think about the future of the
Parthenon Sculptures? Share your views on our social media platforms
or email us at: [email protected]HAVE YOUR SAY