Stories from exile: Fragments from the cultural biography of the Parthenon (or ‘Elgin') marbles

TLDR

The Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles are a focal point of scholarly and public debate, symbolizing both Greece’s national heritage and the contested politics of cultural restitution. The study examines the cultural biography of the Marbles across time, rather than centering on restitution. It analyses their global cultural‑economic deployment and the accompanying ambiguities, employing examples and alternative narratives such as poetry and autobiographical accounts. Keywords: Parthenon marbles, cultural biographies, nationalism, politics of the past, Greece.

Abstract

Abstract The group of artefacts known as Parthenon (or 'Elgin') Marbles has attracted enormous attention from scholars and the public, mainly because of its involvement in the politics of restitution of cultural heritage. The prime concern of this article is not the issue of restitution itself (although inevitably the issue is discussed to some extent), but the fascinating cultural life of this group of artefacts, from their initial production in the fifth century BC, to the present day. Not only are the Parthenon Marbles a significant landmark in the topographic project of the Hellenic national heterotopic dream, they also contribute to the discourse of the social and political reality of modern Greece and the reality (and often the hyperreality) of the global diasporic communities which participate in the Hellenic national project. The article illustrates with specific examples their deployment in the global cultural economy and the ambiguities and ironies surrounding these transactions. In addition to the conventional narrative, it employs alternative narrative forms such as poetry and partly autobiographical accounts. Keywords: Parthenon marblescultural biographiesnationalismpolitics of the pastGreece