Why Are The Elgin Marbles Called Marbles
The elgin marbles are a collection of ancient greek marble sculptures that originally decorated some of the ancient monuments on the akropolis in athens particularly the parthenon but were removed in the early nineteenth century by thomas bruce 7th earl of elgin and are currently held in the british museum in london.
Why are the elgin marbles called marbles. These are the elgin marbles if you ask the british the parthenon marbles if you ask the greeks. Essentially the elgin marbles or the parthenon marbles are a group of statues sculptures inscriptions and architectural elements that were once part of the parthenon in athens greece. 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. Elgin marbles collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum london where they are now called the parthenon sculptures.
The temple was the centrepiece of an ambitious building programme on the acropolis of athens the british museum explains. 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. The elgin marbles are sculptures from the parthenon a marble frieze temple aka a doric temple on the athenian acropolis greece built in 447 432 bc and dedicated to the goddess athena. A nobleman saved them 200 odd years ago if you ask the british and he stole them if you ask the.
In practice the term is commonly used to refer to the stone objects he gathered an official greek website prefers looted from athens between 1801 05 particularly those from the parthenon. The parthenon marbles greek. Jan 27 2019 2016 marked 200 years since greece was robbed of its famous parthenon marbles known around the world as the so called elgin marbles the culture crime was committed by thomas bruce the seventh earl of elgin and a scottish nobleman. These included 247 feet of a frieze.
Depicting scenes from greek mythology the temple and surrounding acropolis were built in the fifth century bce and are considered triumphs in greek architecture.