The 1967 study by british historian william st.
Why did lord elgin take the marbles.
Elgin an art lover claimed the sculptures were better off in britain than the perilous environment he found them in.
Some suggest that lord elgin bribed turkish officials and effectively stole the marbles.
Lord elgin was ambassador to the ottoman court of the sultan in istanbul in the early 19th century.
In 1801 he negotiated what he claimed was permission from the turks who.
It was also believed that by gazing upon great works of art a person could become somewhat enlightened by being infected by the spirit of the piece and of the artist.
Nowadays items lord elgin looted from the parthenon are increasingly finding their way to being called their rightful name the parthenon sculptures instead of the elgin marbles.
Parliament was hesitant to purchase the marbles.
By 1812 elgin had finally shipped the parthenon marbles back to britain at a huge personal cost of 70 000.
Greece has disputed the british museum s ownership of the sculptures maintaining that lord elgin removed them illegally while the country was under turkish occupation as part of the ottoman empire.
People also ask why did lord elgin take the marbles.
The greek government has disputed the british museum trustees legal title to the sculptures.
Having brought the statues and reliefs to england lord elgin proposed putting them on public display a noble idea that was undermined by his intention to restore the statues.
Greece maintains they were taken illegally during the country s turkish occupation and should be returned for display in athens.
The study judged a clause authorising the british to take stones with old inscriptions and figures probably meant items in the excavations the site not the art decorating the temples.
An outcry arose over the affair and elgin was assailed for rapacity vandalism and dishonesty in hauling the grecian treasures to london.
Lord byron and many others attacked elgin s actions in print.
But the british say that lord elgin legally purchased the statues from the ottoman empire before greece won.
Intending to use them to decorate his scottish home broomhall house his plans were cut short when a costly divorce put him out of pocket.
Some suggest that lord elgin bribed turkish officials and effectively stole the marbles.