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 decora-
tive artifacts that were designed as components of the
Parthenon, a temple to Athena, the Greek goddess of wis-
dom, in Athens, Greece;
Whereas the Parthenon marbles were removed from the Par-
thenon under questionable circumstances in 1801 while
Greece was still under Ottoman rule;
Whereas the Parthenon is the ultimate creation of Greek ar-
tistic genius and is the preeminent symbol of Greek cul-
tural heritage, including contributions to art, architec-
ture, and governance;
•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 per-
sonal 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 Cen-
tury, Greece has sought the return of the Parthenon
Marbles;
Whereas even without considering the legal ramifications of
the circumstances surrounding the removal of the Par-
thenon 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 Mar-
bles 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;
•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 re-
turn of the Parthenon Marbles by overwhelming num-
bers, as reflected in a 1998 poll;
Whereas the United States has imitated the architecture of
the Parthenon in preeminent structures such as the Su-
preme 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 ar-
tistic integrity of the Parthenon;
Whereas Greece and various international committees have
pledged to accommodate any conditions the United King-
dom 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 appre-
ciation 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