Should the ‘Elgin Marbles’ be Returned to Greece?

The Greek temple to the goddess Athena, Parthenos ( Maiden) -the Parthenon-is one of the most revered historic monuments in the world. It was built between 447-432 B.C.E. on the rock of the Acropolis in Athens, where it still stands, a holy ruin. For nearly 2,500 years the Parthenon has embodied the ancient Greek ideas of justice, reedom, and intellectual and artistic excellence that marked the height of the political power of Athens in the fifth century. It has endured centuries of earthquakes, military operations, weather, pollution, and looting. Fragments of monumental sculpture from the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis can be found in museums around the world, but the largest collection outside Greece-and the most hotly debated-are the so-called Elgin Marbles, housed in the British Museum in London.