Elgin Marbles may return to Greece
 
Britain and Greece are trying to negotiate an agreement that could see the Parthenon Marbles returned to Athens, ending a feud dating from the 1800s


ELGIN MARBLES 
Classical Greek sculptures taken from ruined Parthenon by Lord Elgin, British ambassador to Ottoman Empire, in early 19th century

Elgin Marbles contain sculptures from pediments, metopes and frieze

Sculptures from east pediment

Horse of Selene


1 PEDIMENTS: Include 17 life-sized figures. Most impressive, on east pediment, depict birth
of goddess Athena

2 METOPES: High relief panels above colonnade, illustrate battles between Centaurs and legendary Lapith people. Elgin Marbles contain 15 of original 92 metopes

3 FRIEZE: Carved in low relief around temple inside colonnade – shows Athenians in festival procession

PARTHENON: Temple to goddess Athena built on Acropolis of Athens in 5th century BC by sculptor Phidias

1 West pediment
Depicts contest between Athena and Poseidon for supremacy over Athens

Athena Parthenos
Large statue covered in gold and ivory in inner chamber

Roof
Dressed in marble tiles

1 East pediment

2 Metopes

3

Elgin Marbles contain 75 metres of original 160m frieze


450-430 BC
Perikles, leading statesman of Athens, commissions reconstruction of Acropolis

404 BC: Athens’ Golden Age ends after defeat to rival city Sparta

AD 500-600: Parthenon becomes church under Roman Emperor Justinian. Many sculptures destroyed

1458: Ottomans capture Athens – Parthenon becomes mosque

1687: Parthenon heavily damaged when Venetians bombard Ottoman garrison, igniting gunpowder stored inside temple

1801: Ottoman Sultan grants permission for Lord Elgin to remove sculptures

1807: Elgin Marbles first exhibited in London

1817: Acquired by British Museum

1961: Marbles moved to Duveen Gallery, where they remain

2009: Acropolis Museum opens, with Parthenon Gallery built specifically to house sculptures

500 BC AD 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000


Source: British Museum 
Pictures: Getty Images, Newscom, Francesco Fanelli, Jastrow, Broomhall House, Trustees of British Museum 
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