IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 51 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should 

be returned to Greece. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 2, 2017 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and 

Mr. PAYNE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

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 

in 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, including its art, architecture, 

and democracy, and of the contributions that modern 

Greeks and their forefathers have made to civilization; 

Whereas the Parthenon has served as a place of worship for 

ancient Greeks, Christians, and Muslims; 


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•HCON 51 IH 

Whereas the Parthenon has been adopted by imitation by the 

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

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

known as the Parthenon Marbles, were removed from the 

Parthenon under questionable circumstances between 

1801 and 1816 by British nobleman Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin, 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 arts of the Parthenon, which can best be appreciated 

if all the Parthenon Marbles are reunified; 

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 


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•HCON 51 IH 

appreciation and respect for the Parthenon and classical 

art; 

Whereas returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece would be 

a gesture of good will on the part of the British Parliament, and would set no legal precedent, nor in any 

other way affect the ownership or disposition of other objects in museums in the United States or around the 

world; 

Whereas the United Kingdom should return the Parthenon 

Marbles 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 opened the New Acropolis Museum in 2009 

which houses the Marbles that were not removed to the 

United Kingdom by Lord Elgin and displays them alongside plaster replicas of the Marbles currently in the British Museum so visitors can see the entire frieze as it was 

designed around the Temple of Athena; 

Whereas it has been 200 years since the British Government 

voted to purchase the Marbles; 

Whereas the Greek Government has publicly supported working with the British Government in a diplomatic manner 

to negotiate mutually agreeable conditions for the return 

of the Parthenon Marbles; 

Whereas the people of Greece have a greater, ancient bond 

to the Parthenon Marbles, which were in Greece for over 


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•HCON 51 IH 

2,200 years of the over 2,430-year history of the Parthenon; and 

Whereas British Members of Parliament across the political 

spectrum have supported legislation to authorize the return of the Marbles to Greece: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

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 to facilitate re5 turn of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. 

Æ 


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