Wednesday, 6 July 2016

Brexit and the Parthenon Marbles (Updated)


As Britain prepares to Leave Europe and sever links with the community of European nations, this is obviously the time for the Parthenon Marbles to go back to Athens. They are clearly part of the European cultural heritage not the British. In rejecting its links with European ideals, the British people forfeit any claims to be part of that heritage. In the period 447 - 432 BC when the Parthenon was built, the ancient Britons were still cattle-herders living in wattle-and-daub huts using grotty Middle Iron Age pottery and making tools of animal bones.

Vignette: Wattle and daub


UPDATE
Meanwhile pragmatic rather than altruistic motives lie behind similar calls, campaigners say allowing the reunification of the sculptures kept in London with those still in Athens could be a diplomatic coup for the UK as it negotiates Brexit (Ian Johnston, 'MPs introduce Bill to return 'Elgin Marbles' to Greece 200 years after the UK decided to buy them' Monday 11 July 2016).

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