Classical Greece has produced some of the most beautiful pieces of art the world has ever seen. Each piece of art, be it in bronze or marble tells a tale or stories from the ancient world. Many of their finest works depict their most legendary warriors, gods, and others… Many of these works remain today and still are revered for their great beauty, intricacy, and wonder.
The greatest sculptures to exist were designed to represent the great gods of Greek Mythology. Such was the impact of the adventures and tales of Zeus, Hera, Athena, and all other Greek gods that they inspired art and media forms for centuries to come. Today, we even see the creation of slot games based on the Greek gods such as Rise of Olympus and Almighty Reels: Garden of Persephone Slot. Games like this can be found on many sites such as the casino site, Aspers. It is so hard to choose one from all these works. One, however, stands above all the rest – The Marble Metopes of the Parthenon.
Known as the Elgin Marbles, these are ninety-two marble panels that made up the exterior of the Parthenon which made up the Doric Frieze on top of the Acropolis. Each of the panels contained sculptures of stories or myths from Greek mythology such as the “Sack of Troy”, “the Battle of the Lapiths”, and Greek gods.
So, where are they now? Well, after years of war, neglect, and disrepair. It wasn’t until the late 1600s during a war between the Ottoman Empire and the Venetians that the monument was almost destroyed. The Parthenon was used as a powder store by the Turkish army. The Venetians scored a direct hit on the site causing it to explode and destroyed the upper half of the building. The damage to the structure was bad. The Venetians tried to take some of the marbles back to Italy but, ended up causing even more damage in their efforts.
In the 18th century, more and people came to Athens to loot and plunder the site. The site was in great danger of disappearing for ever. English antiquarian, Richard Chandler wrote in 1770.
“It is to be regretted that so much admirable sculpture as is still extant about this fabric should be all likely to perish … from ignorant contempt and brutal violence”
Much of the site was quickly disappearing and quickly… Much of the marble had been used for local construction around Athens and further afield. Many pieces of the building made their way to private collectors and museums. It is though that the Elgin Marbles were acquired this way. In 1803, Thomas Bruce or Lord Elgin as he was known removed the Marble Metopes of the Parthenon and took them to London. Where it became a permanent fixture for all to see.
For years now, the Greece has argued that the marbles should return to Athens and take their rightful place in the new museum which is located on the original site. However, the British has been reluctant to let this happen.
