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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsArchaeology37% of YouGov Respondents Want the Parthenon Marbles Returned to Greece

37% of YouGov Respondents Want the Parthenon Marbles Returned to Greece

Parthenon-marblesNew research by YouGov appears to support George Clooney’s claims about public opinion. 37% think the classical Greek sculptures should be returned to Greece, far more than the 23% who favor keeping them in Britain. Another 32% don’t mind either way and 7% don’t know how they feel about it.

YouGov also tested some of the arguments that have been made for or against returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece and found that the arguments “for” tend to be more popular than the arguments “against.” Thirty-six percent believe one of the best arguments for returning the sculptures is that they “are one work of art and they should be reunited along with the rest of the Parthenon sculptures in Greece.” While the British Museum houses many of the Parthenon sculptures, others can be found across the world in places like Paris and Copenhagen. Another 34% are swayed by the argument that the sculptures belong in Greece due to their importance as part of the Greek cultural heritage.

During her trip to Greece, Amal Alamuddin-Clooney spoke about the “injustice” of keeping the priceless artifacts in London. But only 19% of British people find it convincing that they should go back to “their rightful owner” in Athens because they were illegally removed.

The most popular argument for keeping the sculptures in Britain is the argument that sending them back would set a bad precedent. If Britain has to give these sculptures back, the argument goes, it will throw into doubt the fate of not only other artifacts kept at the British Museum, but also those in museums across the world. Twenty-seven percent rank this among the most convincing arguments for keeping the sculptures in Britain.

Twenty-three percent are also convinced by the argument that there was no injustice in taking the artifacts at all: The Ottoman Empire permitted Lord Elgin to take the sculptures and the Ottoman Empire was in charge of Greece at the time, so it was not illegal for him to take the Marbles.

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