h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank you for the interesting and concise history of the greek temple.

In particular, I welcomed the reference to " the greatest damage (to the Parthenon) was done by an English man". When visiting the British Museum and viewing the so-called Elgin marbles, I admired their classical beauty.However,having seen the site from which they were stolen,I am speechless that such a such a terrible destruction could willfully have taken place - it wasn't an act of nature - but an out and out crime.

Living in Greece, I have become aware of how passionately the Greeks desire to have their rightful heritage returned to them. They have prepared a new, appropriate home for the marbles, but have repeatedly had their requests refused.

How arrogant were all the British governments, which have denied the right of the Greeks to have the marbles returned,saying that the British Museum can ensure their preservation better than their true owners.

And what a wonderful opportunity was missed in 2004, when the marbles could have been returned to co-incide with the wonderful Olympic Games
organised by Greece!

I sincerely wish that more international pressure will be brought to bear upon the present and future British governments to right this wrong.

Who WAS this guy Elgin anyway?

Elgin was a British lord, and ambassador to the Turkish government which controlled that part of the world at the time. Of course the modern Greeks consider that the Turks were an occupying foreign force, but the Turks would not have seen it that way, any more than the present British Government considering itself an occupying force of Wales or Cornwall. The Turks were not really interested in the Parthenon as a piece of Culture, but it's not clear whether they really meant that Elgin should take away all the panels.

It is a difficult topic. If the British Museum were to return everything to its point of origin, they'd have nothing left. And the British Museum is an invaluable educational collection of world culture. Carrying it one step further, should the National Museum in Athens be allowed to keep the Mycenaean gold or should it be returned to Mycenae.

I don't know. But I do think the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Athens.

I'm glad to hear that you support the return of the marbles to their rightful home , so there's no point in arguing about that!

However, it comes over as a very casual explanation that"the Turks were an occupying foreign force" - yes they were - for over 400 years! They were responsible for burning the library in Constantinople, which contained a treasure trove of knowledge written by all the great ancient philosophers and scientists, such as Pythagoras, Archimedes and others. What remains today of their research and knowledge is a drop in the ocean, compared to what existed at the time of the burning of the library. It was also the major contributory factor to the Dark Ages. It's mind boggling that Greek culture survived and eventually emerged from the Turkish yoke.

Another point is, that ancient Mycenae is now part of the modern Greek state, so where should the Mycenaean gold be kept, other than in the Greek capital?

I hadn't heard of the library in Constantinople.

From everything you say, it's a good thing that Elgin got the marbles away from the Turks when he did.

But it's time for them to go back now.