Who “owns” the past? Who has the right to define what the past means for us today?
DRAFT
The Parthenon Marbles include part of the Parthenon built in Athens, Greece. It wasconstructed and offered as an offering to the Greece goddess Athena Parthenos. Initially, it wasutilized as a temple; however, it was transformed into a church after it suffered damage. Further, itwas damaged by people who opposed the artwork in the building. Most of the damage was causedwhen the Turks were in charge of Athens as they used the structure a location to store gunpowder(Juan, 2017). Unfortunately, there was an explosion that damaged most of the structure.I support the request of Greece to return the artwork. This is because the history behind themarble is of Greece and not Britain. The artwork and the structure belong to Athens. Secondly, it isunfair for the culture of a given group to be given away by another. Even though Turks were incharge of the building at that time, they had no right to give away Greece’s historical structure toBritain (Allison, 2019). In case they wanted to give Britain the facility to restore them, they shouldhave given it to Greece, the rightful owner.I do not support Britain’s action as Lord Elgin used his power illegally as the BritishAmbassador and took the marbles. Even though most people are proud to display theircollectibles, Lord Elgin does not display the marbles. Artifacts should not be bought from anothergovernment as it belongs to the people, and that is why I believe that the marbles were illegallytaken from Greece. Therefore, the Marbles should be returned to Greece museums as it isrightfully theirs.
Background to the assignment: Who “owns” the past? Who has the right to define what the past means for us today? This assignment asks you to reflect on these questions. In the course of this assignment, you will discover that ancient history can sometimes be very contemporary, reminding us that the past is always present with us. Many of the conflicts in our world today have ancient roots, which is one of the reasons studying the past is important.
Description of the assignment: Go online and find some information about the “Elgin Marbles” (also called the “Parthenon Marbles”). Read a little about the controversy between the British and Greek governments concerning the ownership of these marbles. In a 2-paragraph essay, first summarize the controversy in your own words giving historical context; and then take a clear position by supporting either the Greek or British side. Discuss 2 main reasons that support your position. You do not need to do extensive research or reading to complete this assignment well. However, if you include sources, you must cite your sources in current APA format. This assignment must be 250–300 words and must include the word count in parentheses.
