The sculptures often called the Elgin Marbles are architectural carvings from the Parthenon and other buildings on the Athenian Acropolis. The broader name Parthenon Sculptures better identifies the main group and its original setting.
Ancient setting
The Parthenon was built for Athena during the fifth century BCE. Its marble decoration included pedimental figures, metopes showing mythic battles, and a long frieze commonly interpreted as the Panathenaic procession. The carvings were once colored and fitted with metal details.
War, conversion of the building, weathering, reuse, and an explosion in 1687 damaged the temple before the removals associated with Lord Elgin. Surviving sculptures are now divided mainly between Athens and London, with fragments elsewhere.
Removal and dispute
Agents of Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin, removed sculptures in the early nineteenth century while Athens was under Ottoman rule. The British Museum argues that the acquisition was legally authorized and later approved by Parliament. Greece disputes the legitimacy and circumstances of the removal.
The current debate concerns legal title, colonial power, conservation, public access, and reunification of one monument’s surviving art. A fair account should represent both museum histories while recognizing that the sculptures were made for the Parthenon.