IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 294

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should

be returned to Greece.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 28, 2000

Mr. PAYNE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon

Marbles should be returned to Greece.

Whereas the Parthenon Marbles consist of over 100 decorative artifacts that were designed as components of the

Parthenon, a temple to Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, in Athens, Greece;

Whereas the Parthenon marbles were removed from the Parthenon under questionable circumstances in 1801 while

Greece was still under Ottoman rule;

Whereas the Parthenon is the ultimate creation of Greek artistic genius and is the preeminent symbol of Greek cultural heritage, including contributions to art, architecture, and governance;
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•HCON 294 IH

Whereas selection of the Parthenon by the United Nations

Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as the

symbol of world culture demonstrates that the Parthenon

holds universal importance;

Whereas the Parthenon, as a universal symbol of culture and

democracy, is of concern to not only Greece but all the

world;

Whereas the purpose of removing the Parthenon Marbles was

to grace the private home of Lord Elgin, who transferred

the marbles to the British Museum only after severe personal economic misfortunes;

Whereas the removal of the Parthenon Marbles, including the

perilous voyage to Great Britain and the careless storage

of the marbles there for many years, greatly endangered

the marbles;

Whereas since obtaining independence in the mid-19th Century, Greece has sought the return of the Parthenon

Marbles;

Whereas even without considering the legal ramifications of

the circumstances surrounding the removal of the Parthenon Marbles, the United Kingdom should return them

in recognition that the Parthenon is part of the cultural

heritage of the entire world and, as such, should be made

whole;

Whereas Greece would provide care for the Parthenon Marbles equal or superior to the care provided by the British

Museum, especially considering the irreparable harm

caused by attempts by the museum to remove the original

color and patina of the marbles with abrasive cleaners;

Whereas Greece is constructing a new, permanent museum in

view of the Acropolis to house the Parthenon Marbles;
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•HCON 294 IH

Whereas the people of the United Kingdom do not have an

ancient bond to the Parthenon Marbles, given that the

marbles have been in London for less than 200 years

compared to the antiquity of the Parthenon of over 2,430

years, and as evidenced by a 1998 poll in which only 15

percent of the Britons polled recalled having seen the

marbles in the British Museum;

Whereas the people of the United Kingdom support the return of the Parthenon Marbles by overwhelming numbers, as reflected in a 1998 poll;

Whereas the United States has imitated the architecture of

the Parthenon in preeminent structures such as the Supreme Court and the Lincoln Memorial;

Whereas the United States Committee on the Parthenon was

established to promote interest and scholarship in the

Parthenon, and dedication to the physical unity and artistic integrity of the Parthenon;

Whereas Greece and various international committees have

pledged to accommodate any conditions the United Kingdom may place on the return of the Parthenon Marbles,

including any economic criteria and design specifications

for the museum being constructed to house the marbles;

Whereas the return of the Parthenon Marbles would be the

ultimate demonstration by the United Kingdom of appreciation and respect for the Parthenon and classical art;

and

Whereas in 2004 the Olympics will return to Greece, where

the Olympics began, and the Parthenon Marbles should

be returned to their home in Athens by that time: Now,

therefore, be it
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1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress urges the Government of

3 the United Kingdom to seek to enter into negotiations

4 with the Government of Greece as soon as possible to fa5 cilitate the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece be6 fore the Olympics in 2004.

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