Opinion One

Having the Elgin marbles in Britain has advantages and disadvantages.
Among the advantages we may say that the British have had an opportunity to discover the ancient classical world from a close-up perspective. Besides, both British architecture and civil society have gained from the influence of the classical style as seen in churches, buildings and houses erected at the beginning of the 19th century. So, on the one hand, there are several arguments (the ones I have just mentioned and many others) that support the view that Elgin did a favour to western Europe by shipping the marbles towards Britain.

On the other hand, though, we may analyse the disadvantages of it all. Among the cons we see the great dissatisfaction that this stripping of the Parthenon has always caused among the Greek people who have been deprived of the beauty and the pride of the "most beautiful sculptures on earth". Also this conflict has caused diplomatic and human frictions over the years because neither the British rulers nor the Greek have intended to give an inch in their demands.

In short we may say that the taking of the Elgin marbles from Greece to Britain has had its positive and its negative aspects. For some it is clear theft. For others, however it is meant a way of taking good care of these beautiful treasures which, otherwise, would have been profoundly damaged by the never-ending war conflicts of Greece throughout history.

Opinion Two

We all should take a side on the long-running question of the Elgin Marbles. Some people have argued that the British Government have kept the statues in the famous and fee-free British Museum in order to protect them from irreversible damage. It is true that Greece has unfortunately suffered from endless wars over the centuries but this does not give a right to, first, take a country's artistic and cultural heritage away and, second, keep it until today. To date, the British government has not taken any step forward in the handing back of the marbles and it is strikingly visible that the Greek are now already prepared to safe-keep them.

In short, despite all the pros and cons that have arisen from this controversial issue it is evident to me that the Marbles should be returned to where they always belonged.