Lesson Plan: Debate on the Elgin Marbles

The Elgin Marbles are the sculptures from the Parthenon removed 200 years ago by Lord Elgin and now on display in the British Museum in London (Click here to see some pictures I took in January 2006). For some time the Greek government has been trying to get the British government to give them back. Recently they built a special museum near the Acropolis to house these treasures. There are now many organisation campaigning for the return of these treasures. I am personally very much in favour of their return - these marbles are an intrinsic part of the Parthenon and deserve to be seen in their proper context, as a continuous scene, close to their original location.

The British government and the authorities of the British Museum do not agree that the marbles should be returned. They argument that if the Parthenon sculptures were returned, it would set a precedent by which all the great museums of the world would ultimately have to return their treasures to their country of origin. Others say that this argument cannot apply to the Elgin Marbles because they are an inseparable part of the Parthenon and cannot be compared to such things as Egyptian obelisks, pharaoh's mummies, Mesopotamian tablets or Easter Island monoliths. Further, the government says that the marbles were legitimately bought - but at that time Greece was ruled by the Turks, not the Greeks. The arguments each way are extensive and you can get some idea of them by clicking here.

It may be worthwhile discussing this issue with the children - it will demonstrate how important ancient culture and national heritage is to people today, and also provide an opportunity for some mental work constructing and presenting arguments with sound reasoning and evidence. There are many websites which cover the topic.

Activity

You could have one group of children who are in favour of and one who are against the return debate with each other, taking turns to give main statements, then to respond to each other's statements. The class as a whole can discuss the issue and finally vote. You could even get the children to write letters to Tony Blair saying why they feel the sculptures should be returned - or to the Greek government saying why they should stay.