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Comment by officemonkey | Hacker News Reader

Considering they were looted from the Parthenon in Athens, which is still standing, I would say "yes."

Half of the friezes had been destroyed or severely damaged by the time Elgin went there. Some of the remaining pieces have been damaged since he went. The building originally had four walls and a roof.

Yes. And since the Greeks still have many of the acropolis marbles in their museum, it's fatuous to assume that they couldn't protect their own heritage.

The museum was built 11 years ago. I'm not doubting their current ability to protect the objects.

Through a world wars I and II, the various rebellions and coups, a civil war? No, very likely someone would have 'harvested' them to sell for food.

Come on! The Nazis systematically plundered art treasures across Europe. After the war much of that was lost. There is not really much doubt on this.

Half of the marbles from the Parthenon survive in the Acropolis Museum. In other words, the Greeks know what they're doing. The Elgin Marbles were taken when the country was owned by the Ottoman Empire.

I really wish you would do some research before spouting off with ill-informed opinions. The Nazis and Italians conquered Greece during WW2, they didn't take Acropolis marbles.

That's some sort of anomaly. They took everything else, and murdered half a million civilians. I guess the remaining marbles were in locations too difficult to easily loot? Or too weighty.

Anyway, Elgin 'rescued' the marbles after a period of particularly egregious destruction of Greek history. Much was lost, blown up or deliberately demolished. If the Greeks didn't give a damn, why should Elgin be blamed for caring?

The Ottomans controlled Greece during that time. I don't think it was the Greeks that didn't give a damn.

And who controls Greece now?

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