IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 54 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should 

be returned to Greece. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 24, 2011 

Mr. PAYNE (for himself and Mr. BILIRAKIS) 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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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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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 is constructing a new, permanent museum in 

full view of the Acropolis to house all the Marbles, protected from the elements in a safe, climate-controlled environment; 

Whereas Greece has pledged to work with the British government 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 

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

Whereas a resolution signed by a majority of members of the 

European Parliament urged the British government to 


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return the Parthenon Marbles to their natural setting in 

Greece; and 

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 in 2000: 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 the 

5 return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. 

Æ 


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