ACROPOLIS: The opening of the new museum

[byJessCh]

@tigerwa It's not about fascism. If a foreign nation would steal part of UK's history to their museum wouldn't that suck? Yes it would.

[rounick]

There are no more stupid excuses left. The marbles belong to the Parthenon. There's no denying it,no two ways around it. They are stolen property, and the british museum must return them to the their rightful home.

[fakeras123]

BringThemBack!!! Greek History for Greeks!!

[nikiforo5]

RETURN THE STOLEN

[doktordrakator]

Democracy was invented in ancient Athens when London wasn't but a swamp. It is true that there is lots of corruption in Greece nowadays but this is not an argument. The marbles belong to the Goddess Athena because they were conceived by the creative spirit of Her worshippers. They belong to the light in which they were born and not in the shadow of an imperialistic crown...

[JimmyTheGreek2000]

If you imply that corruption is unique to Greece ..... I have news for you!

CORRUPTION IS IN EVERY COUNTRY, The methods are different !

[LAICK]

Actually the founding of democracy in ancient Greece is a construct by the 18th century German writer Johan Joachim Winckelmann. He created the idealistic view that is the way we see ancient Greece in these times. There were small parts of Greece where democracy was but a temporal state of affairs, and only for the upper class.

The debate around the Elgin/ Parthenon Marbles is a difficult one. Returning them to Greece for nationalistic views or politic goals is wrong however (my humble opinion)

[doktordrakator]

My comment was an answer to an argument claiming that Greece doesn't deserve the marbles due to the bad shape of its democracy...

[doktordrakator]

If you read my comment carefully, you will see I refer to Athens alone, (Sparta was never democratic for instance) It is also true that it was there only for the free Athenian men (not for women or slaves or foreigners) still it was a democracy and we don't need german scholars to prove anything when we have the ancient texts, Thucydides to begin with.

[doktordrakator]

My humble opinion is that the argument is not difficult at all. The marbles were stolen with violence and they belong to the Parthenon, period. They were created by Athenian Democracy and stolen by British Imperialism, is there anything political about that?

[LAICK]

Not Directly, but indirect there is. Greece is trying hard to prove that they respect their ancestral heritage, but at the same time they immediatly get a green light to demolish those two buildings that come from another important period. (now there are protests however, which I think is good!) Don't underestimate the power of politics when it comes to these cases. Recently the museum altered a video, just because the Greek Orthodox church objected to the negative view on their historical role

[LAICK]

The cases prove again and again, that history ( as we see it) is but a construct of our own time, our own vision on the past, which is not necessarily the right one. Yes the marbles were unrightfully stolen, but if the Athenians can't even consider to conserve relatively younger heritage (the houses), why should they be given posession over those marbles? Yes I think they should be returned, but on the other hand the story behind the marbles and it's controversy is something everyone remembers.

[LAICK]

It allows everyone to actively relate to history, and not forget the wrongdoings of imperialism. I wish the Netherlands (where I come from) had a clear case as that to represent their colonial history. It would make everyone much more alert in this day. I was on vacation in Greece this summer, sadly I got the impression that about 95% of the Greeks care nothing for their heritage, while the rest of Europe still looks at it through the eyes of Winckelmann...

[doktordrakator]

You might be amazed, but I totally agree with almost everything you say. If you are interested in these matters I would love to discuss them to detail per e-mail. The space here is too restricted...

[doktordrakator]

You bring up so many different issues: Greek Orthodox Church, of course they destroyed greek monuments... Of course they were ashamed to see that in the movie by Gavras... Of course they pressed the museum to take these scenes away... The reaction was massive

[doktordrakator]

So was the reaction to demolishing the two houses, that's why they are still there. I signed the petition too and so did all my friends. In any case, the British should deal with their own problems and let the rest of the world deal with their own, the way they think they should...

[doktordrakator]

What I am trying to say is: even if we had a Taliban Regime in Greece, the marbles would still belong to the Parthenon (not the Greeks, not the Athenians, let alone the Orthodox Church) and the Parthenon happens to be still on its Holy Rock.

[Neboolosa]

you don't deserve what Greece has given to the world.....just wasted on you

[koxakis]

the nerve of a thief ...

post more of this .. it is good for the world to see who are against the return of the stolen legasy !!

[RaniaSmallville]

The Parthenon Marbles are Greek and must return to their home. How dare they call them Elgin Marbles? They are not Elgin Marbles, they are The Parthenon Marbles. They are not British and they have no right to keep them in the British museum. The Parthenon Marbles must return to Athens, to the new museum of Acropolis where they belong.

[JimmyTheGreek2000]

The marbles belong to the Parthenon and not to Greece!

[briginos]

Very nice indeed!

A version w. English subtitles would be a most useful addition for a wide non-Greek speaking audience.

[THANOSandMARIZA]

go and learn some greek if you want translation..

after all, it's the mother language of all languages around the world..

...."wide non-Greek speaking audience"....

[eastfront4]

ante re malakes gemisame xoana.,..otan sas ta phran ta marmara h athina eixe 3000 katoikous k provata sto parthenona...xoriataroi...ENDO­XH SALONIKA 2000 XRONIA PROUD ...xoriates ..k ti sxesh exete eseis m tous arxaiou?

[RaniaSmallville]

Άμα είναι μαλάκας ο άνθρωπος...

[eastfront4]

ama den einai malakas ginete zoo ...thlekateytynomeno...exoume arxaia xeroume na ta proothoume?k sthn telikh ama de ta eperne o elgein tora de tha yphrxe tipota...

[sath8]

ase mas re file pou den tha uphrxe tipota

K ti einai auto pou prospatheis esu na peis twra?

Einai sobarh dikaologia na paramenoun se bretanika xeria?

Zoume sto paron, kai twra h Ellada exei ola ta fonta na ta prostatepsei , epomenws oi arxaiokaphloi bretanoi dene xoun kanena logo na ta kratane, ofeiloun na sumbaloun sthn oloklhrwsh ths sulloghs, pou PREPEI na ginei DIPLA apo to mnhmio sto opoio ANHKOUN OSA o ELGIN E K L E P S E me tis eulogies twn tourkaladwn

TELOS

[eastfront4]

sostos

[evercllear]

Perhaps us Greeks should travel to London and shear down Big Ben then bring it to Greece to display here? We will still give all of the UK the right to come and visit their former monument. Isn't this only fair since you have pilaged ours? Bring back the Parthenon marbles where they belong!!

[egw19]

Give them Back thieves !!!

[adventure542]

For the British Museoum to keep The Greek Marbles there, it is pure, unadulterated THEFT ON A NATIONAL SCALE, SANCTIONED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

These marbles belong to Greece, in Greece, and should be returned WITH APOLOGIES.

Same thing with the Egyptian mummies they also have.

Undignified,

[fondasvas]

It was not the British goverment (originally); it was a broke diplomat that made anatolian bargening with the vandals that occupied Hellas..

[ihadiwtbaa]

excuse me (greek people)..we must not ''please'' the British museum for the return of Parthenon's marbles in Greece we must demand the return of our marbles in Greece!!!! the marbles are Greek and belong to Parthenon!!!

[bnbfak3]

hell wait, burlgarians have history ?

[fondasvas]

Everyone has a history, a different one for each and every one of us. And I am so proud to be Greek for OUR HISTORY. We do not need such comments now, we ought to get the sculptures back to their motherland, back to the discendants of their creators where they can be BEST shown to the rest of the world as a world heritage created by our forfathers. WE HAVE THE LEGACY, noone else

[SuperTheos]

HAHA ITS RIDICULOUS 4 US[GREEKS] TO TRAVEL IN BRITAIN TO SEE OUR HISTORY!how u call your museum?british museum?ha the perfect name its athens & egypt museum not british...LOL

[veramss]

It's ridiculous for us, the Bulgarians, to come in Greece to see an objects, found in Bulgaria and smuggled into your museums (Sotbis silver plates...). But that's another story. Your new museum is great, congratulations! The place of the Pantheon Marbles from British museum is in Greece. And Justice for All!

[JimmyTheGreek2000]

I have been in that museum and I did not see anything British in it !

Only GREEK; ROMAN AND EGYPTIAN.

[LightingFFXIII]

@SuperTheos

i totally agree with you...BRING THEM BACK...

[LyricsVsMe]

@SuperTheos

dont forget and the Louvre Museum.

[SuperTheos]

wow wow what a marvelous museum!im proud o f being greek!PLZ GIVE US OUR MARBLES BACK GIVE US OUR HISTORY BACK!!

[farmakidis1]

Please support the campaign to reunite the Parthenon Marbles with the ancient cite

[sokzam]

Britain Oh Britain! Never it is late feel sorry for crimes you have made it! Don't be confused... We talk just for the origins of the West civilized world, that you have stolen and you continue to keep stolen... It's simple! Just TURN THE MARBLES BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WanderingOdysseus]

To the English government:

Return what you have stolen. Prove the World you respect History. Earn your lost honor.

[Drsorab]

yes i agree give us back also Aphrodite of Melos, Winged Victory of Samothraki and everything that has a greek origin....!!! why settle for the marbles only?....(i hope you understand i am not serious at all)

[Edgaros]

The marbles are a part of a bigger monument, which belongs to Greece, unless the British museum has in its possession all the marbles, or the Parthenon in a magical way moved to London... It's a matter of the most important Greek monument's integrity. Such a fool you are, that you can't understand it...

[micyia]

Unfortunately l missed the opening ceramony. I hope the marbles are returned since they rightfully belong to the new acropolis museum.

[JimmyTheGreek2000]

Not to the museum!

The PARTHENON