The parthenon marbles also known as the elgin marbles are one of the must see collections held by london s british museum beautiful and iconic they are given pride of place in the museum and considered one of the collection highlights but their situation there is not without its controversies.
What happened to the elgin marbles.
In 1816 parliament paid 350 000 for the parthenon marbles most of which went to elgin s many creditors and a new home was found at the british museum albeit initially in a shed.
It all happened sometime between 1801 and 1805.
Elgin marbles collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum london where they are now called the parthenon sculptures.
They were originally part of the temple of the parthenon and other buildings on the acropolis of athens.
These are the years that lord elgin was in athens greece as a diplomat.
He calculated he had spent a total of 74 000 in expenses and bribes more than a million dollars in today s money.
He wanted to save them.
The elgin marbles.
In practice the term is commonly used to refer to the stone objects he gathered an official greek website prefers looted from.
The marbles in london were removed from the parthenon in the first decade of the 19th century under the auspices of thomas bruce the seventh earl of elgin and were first exhibited in london in 1807.
The objects were removed from the parthenon at athens and from other ancient buildings and shipped to england by arrangement of thomas.
What is commonly referred to today as the so called elgin marbles.
At its broadest the term elgin marbles refers to a collection of stone sculptures and architectural pieces which thomas bruce seventh lord elgin gathered during his service as ambassador to the court of the ottoman sultan in istanbul.
He spent a fortune doing this.
The parthenon marbles greek.
γλυπτά του παρθενώνα also known as the elgin marbles ˈ ɛ l ɡ ɪ n are a collection of classical greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of the architect and sculptor phidias and his assistants.