III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 127

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should

be returned to Greece.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 30, 2000

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

Committee on Foreign Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon

Marbles should be returned to Greece.

Whereas the Parthenon was built on the hill of the Acropolis

at Athens, Greece in the mid-fifth century B.C. under the

direction of the Athenian statesman Pericles and the design of the sculptor Phidias;

Whereas the Parthenon is the ultimate expression of the artistic genius of Greece, the preeminent symbol of the

Greek cultural heritage—its art, architecture, and democracy—and of the contributions that modern Greeks and

their forefathers have made to civilization;

Whereas over 100 pieces of the Parthenon’s sculptures—now

known as the Parthenon Marbles—were removed from

the Parthenon under questionable circumstances between
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SCON 127 IS

1801 and 1816, while Greece was still under Ottoman

rule;

Whereas the removal of the Parthenon Marbles, including

their perilous voyage to Great Britain and their careless

storage there for many years, greatly endangered the

Marbles;

Whereas the Parthenon Marbles were removed to grace the

private home of Lord Elgin, who transferred the Marbles

to the British Museum only after severe personal economic misfortunes;

Whereas the sculptures of the Parthenon were designed as an

integral part of the structure of the Parthenon temple;

the carvings of the friezes, pediments, and metopes are

not merely statuary, movable decorative art, but are integral parts of the Parthenon, which can best be appreciated if all the Parthenon Marbles are reunified;

Whereas the Parthenon has served as a place of worship for

ancient Greeks, Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics,

and Muslims;

Whereas the Parthenon has been adopted by imitation by the

United States in many preeminent public buildings, including the Lincoln Memorial;

Whereas the Parthenon is a universal symbol of culture, democracy, and freedom, making the Parthenon Marbles of

concern not only to Greece but to all the world;

Whereas, since obtaining independence in 1830, Greece has

sought the return of the Parthenon Marbles;

Whereas the return of the Parthenon Marbles would be a

profound demonstration by the United Kingdom of its

appreciation and respect for the Parthenon and classical

art;
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SCON 127 IS

Whereas, even without considering the legal issues 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 to

house all the Marbles, protected from the elements and

in full view of the Acropolis;

Whereas Greece and various international committees have

pledged to work with the British Government to negotiate

mutually agreeable conditions for the return of the Parthenon Marbles;

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 of

the over 2,430 year history of the Parthenon was built,

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 British people support the return of the Parthenon Marbles, as reflected in several recent polls;

Whereas a resolution signed by a majority of members of the

European Parliament urged the British Government to

return the Parthenon Marbles to their natural setting in

Greece;
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SCON 127 IS

Whereas the British House of Commons Select Committee on

Culture, Media, and Sport is to be commended for examining the issue of the disposition of the Parthenon Marbles in hearings held this year;

Whereas returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece would be

a gesture of good will on the part of the British Parliament, and would in no way affect the disposition of

other objects in museums around the world; 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

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the

3 Government of the United Kingdom should enter into ne4 gotiations with the Government of Greece as soon as pos5 sible to facilitate the return of the Parthenon Marbles to

6 Greece before the Olympics in 2004.

Æ