'We've lost our marbles': British intellectual opposes return of Parthenon sculptures to Greece

Andrew Norman Wilson, a prolific and influential British author who regularly writes for The Times of London, expressed his opposition to any scenario involving the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece in a recent opinion piece titled "We lost our marbles over Ancient Greece."

Wilson argues that more people will see the marbles if they remain in London than if they are transferred to Greece, emphasizing that Greece would lose many millions of visitors if the sculptures were returned. He suggests that it is not the best time to reopen the contentious issue of whether the Parthenon Sculptures should be returned to Athens or remain in London, where more people will have the opportunity to see them, as reported by Zougla.

Wilson questions whether the British Museum's Chairman, George Osborne, or Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis should decide the fate of the frieze, especially given British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's disavowal of responsibility. "Would you ever trust either the director of the British Museum or the Greek Prime Minister to come to a reasonable conclusion?" he states.

Wilson expressed concern about modern Greece's ability to protect and exhibit its antiquities. He notes that the Greeks have made it clear for decades that they will not accept a loan of the sculptures, as they do not consider them the property of the British Museum. As Zougla reports, Wilson emphasizes that a law of the British Parliament prohibits the British Museum from disposing of any of its exhibits.

Arguing that instead of viewing the British Museum as a place of cultural embezzlement, it can be seen as a practical tribute to Greece, Wilson points out that the museum was designed specifically for the sculptures by Robert Smirke. The subtitle of his article reads, "British Museum isn’t a place of cultural appropriation but a homage to a supreme civilisation we no longer comprehend."

Wilson emphasizes that the Parthenon Marbles represent a connection to one of humanity's most brilliant eras, the ancient Greek period. He praises the importance of ancient Greek culture throughout the centuries, particularly highlighting the Golden Age of Pericles. He notes that all the centuries that have passed since then in Europe have been a disappointment compared to that time, which gave us the greatest tragedies, philosophers, statues, and the strongest political idea: democracy.

Referencing the philhellene Lord Byron, Wilson recalls how Byron opposed Lord Elgin's removal of the marbles from the Parthenon and felt disgust seeing Elgin and others leave Greece with ships full of valuable remnants. He writes that Goethe, who admired Byron, considered dying under such circumstances a martyr's act in the name of Greece.

Wilson argues that what matters is not where the marbles are exhibited, but that people who see them understand what they represent. He believes that people should not view the marbles coldly as mere exhibits but should empathize with the cultural greatness they represent. He quotes Lord Byron, who mocked British Hellenists like Lord Aberdeen and Elgin for turning their drawing rooms into a bazaar to exhibit the mutilated sculptures.

Noting that Britain has lost touch not only with the language of the Greeks but also with the heritage created by the Athenians during their peak, Wilson writes that the number of students choosing ancient Greek in the last years of high school numbers only a few hundred across the country. He states that Britain has forgotten ancient Greek studies.

Wilson writes that the Parthenon was built largely based on the designs of Phidias, the close friend of Pericles, who was the founder of Athenian democracy. He notes that Pericles' contemporaries criticized Phidias because his sculptures seemed overly naturalistic, and that Phidias chose to depict even the gods as ordinary human beings. He emphasizes that the human element of Phidias' sculptural art places man at the center of our understanding, not only of art but also of every attempt to make politics fairer and more humane.

Quoting Hegel, Wilson states, "The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only when dusk comes," to illustrate that philosophy understands historical phenomena only when they have been definitively completed. He writes that Plato kept alive in his dialogues the idea that civilized life—and particularly prudence—depends on our ability to ask questions and to challenge.

Wilson argues that the concept of a museum where one European country takes artistic works from another culture and exhibits them has become suspect. He states that it would be unthinkable under today's ideological climate for an archaeologist to remove valuable artifacts from another part of the world. He notes that 19th-century Hellenists did not denigrate ancient Greek glory as fiercely as is done today.

He contends that both Byron and Elgin would likely be snobbish enough to avoid asking how many of the tens of thousands of tourists taking selfies in front of the sculptures are able to read their message. Wilson states that, blinded by the spirit of woke culture and consumerism, people are unable to see what Phidias and Plato saw.

Wilson concludes by questioning whether people today are unworthy of understanding the true message of democracy and wisdom that the Parthenon Sculptures emit. He asserts that whether the sculptures are left in London or sent to Athens to become another tourist attraction, the question remains.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq