Why are we still arguing over the Parthenon Marbles? This book offers a fresh take on the
history of those famous pieces of ancient sculpture removed from the Acropolis in Athens by
Lord Elgin's men in the early 19th century. It explains how they became the cause célèbre of
the larger debates around cultural heritage and restitution now taking place. The subject is
one that is currently embroiling museums governments universities and the public at large.
Herman provides a balanced thorough and critical account of the history of the Marbles while
considering the legalities of their initial removal and the ethics of their retention by the
British Museum. It incorporates the views of curators museum directors lawyers
archaeologists politicians and others in both London and Athens. It explains why this
particular dispute has not been satisfactorily resolved and suggests new ways of seeking
resolution - for the Parthenon Marbles and for the many other cultural treasures held in museum
collections outside their countries of origin. The book sets out a way forward for this
famously intractable dispute one based on evidence of past practice legal rules around the
transfer of cultural objects and the role of museums in negotiating international exchanges.
