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UTUSN

(70,496 posts)
Mon Feb 24, 2020, 11:37 PM Feb 2020

"marbles" ancient Greek statuary. BrexitBritain might lose its stolen Elgin Marbles to owner Greece

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https://boingboing.net/2020/02/19/after-brexit-britain-may-fina.html

After Brexit, Britain may finally lose its Marbles — specifically the ones they stole from Greece

In the early 1800s, agents working for Thomas Bruce of Scotland, the 7th Earl of Elgin, conveniently “removed” about half of the remaining marble statues from the Parthenon, as well as a few other Greek sculptures, and brought them back to Britain in the name of art history cultural preservation colonialism. Bruce claimed to have permission from the Ottoman Empire to borrow these artifacts, but others have insisted that this is total bullshit. This has — understandably! — resulted in some strained tensions between the British Empire and the modern Greek government (post-Ottoman Empire) that’s gone on for about two centuries.

Now that Britain has left the European Union, Greece has renewed their effort to reclaim the Elgin/Parthenon Marbles. ... ....

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the British government is thus far refusing to cooperate. They seem to be under the impression that the marbles were legally acquired. I suppose this makes sense, on the grounds that the British government makes the laws by which the country abides, and thus, according to their own laws, they have acted in accordance with the law (that they made) in their decision to steal cultural artifacts from half the god damn world in the name of Imperialism.

Let this be a lesson to any future would-be global conquerers: you should probably think through the consequences of your actions before you throw a political tantrum over all the things you brought on to yourself.

Greece demands Elgin Marbles for EU trade [Bruno Waterfield / The Times]

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"marbles" ancient Greek statuary. BrexitBritain might lose its stolen Elgin Marbles to owner Greece (Original Post) UTUSN Feb 2020 OP
When I went to the British Museum a few years ago, it was almost comical how defensive the display RockRaven Feb 2020 #1
I met a director at the British Museum once. LaurenOlimina Feb 2020 #2

RockRaven

(14,782 posts)
1. When I went to the British Museum a few years ago, it was almost comical how defensive the display
Mon Feb 24, 2020, 11:48 PM
Feb 2020

placards and such were about how much better preserved they were today versus how they would have been if they had been left where they were for the last 200 years, etc. Trying very hard to shift the goal-posts/change the direction of the conversation away from legal/moral ownership issues.

 

LaurenOlimina

(1,165 posts)
2. I met a director at the British Museum once.
Mon Feb 24, 2020, 11:51 PM
Feb 2020

This was his position and he very well could have written those defensive placards.

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