The Elgin Marbles, designed and executed by Phidias to adorn the Parthenon, are some of the most beautiful sculptures of ancient Greece. In 1801 Lord Elgin, then British ambassador to the Turkish government in Athens, had pieces of the frieze sawn off and removed to Britain, where they remain, igniting a storm of controversy which has continued to the present day. In the first full-length work on this fiercely debated issue, Christopher Hitchens recounts the history of these precious sculptures and forcefully makes the case for their return to Greece. Drawing out the artistic, moral, legal and political perspectives of the argument, Hitchens's eloquent prose makes The Elgin Marbles an invaluable contribution to one of the most important cultural controversies of our times.
- ISBN10 1859842208
- ISBN13 9781859842201
- Publish Date 20 November 1997 (first published 13 July 1987)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 28 May 2008
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Verso Books
- Edition New edition
- Format Paperback
- Pages 138
- Language English