[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 294 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 294

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should 
                         be returned to Greece.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 28, 2000

Mr. Payne submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should 
                         be returned to Greece.

Whereas the Parthenon Marbles consist of over 100 decorative artifacts that were 
        designed as components of the Parthenon, a temple to Athena, the Greek 
        goddess of wisdom, in Athens, Greece;
Whereas the Parthenon marbles were removed from the Parthenon under questionable 
        circumstances in 1801 while Greece was still under Ottoman rule;
Whereas the Parthenon is the ultimate creation of Greek artistic genius and is 
        the preeminent symbol of Greek cultural heritage, including 
        contributions to art, architecture, and governance;
Whereas selection of the Parthenon by the United Nations Educational, 
        Scientific, and Cultural Organization as the symbol of world culture 
        demonstrates that the Parthenon holds universal importance;
Whereas the Parthenon, as a universal symbol of culture and democracy, is of 
        concern to not only Greece but all the world;
Whereas the purpose of removing the Parthenon Marbles was to grace the private 
        home of Lord Elgin, who transferred the marbles to the British Museum 
        only after severe personal economic misfortunes;
Whereas the removal of the Parthenon Marbles, including the perilous voyage to 
        Great Britain and the careless storage of the marbles there for many 
        years, greatly endangered the marbles;
Whereas since obtaining independence in the mid-19th Century, Greece has sought 
        the return of the Parthenon Marbles;
Whereas even without considering the legal ramifications of the circumstances 
        surrounding the removal of the Parthenon Marbles, the United Kingdom 
        should return them in recognition that the Parthenon is part of the 
        cultural heritage of the entire world and, as such, should be made 
        whole;
Whereas Greece would provide care for the Parthenon Marbles equal or superior to 
        the care provided by the British Museum, especially considering the 
        irreparable harm caused by attempts by the museum to remove the original 
        color and patina of the marbles with abrasive cleaners;
Whereas Greece is constructing a new, permanent museum in view of the Acropolis 
        to house the Parthenon Marbles;
Whereas the people of the United Kingdom do not have an ancient bond to the 
        Parthenon Marbles, given that the marbles have been in London for less 
        than 200 years compared to the antiquity of the Parthenon of over 2,430 
        years, and as evidenced by a 1998 poll in which only 15 percent of the 
        Britons polled recalled having seen the marbles in the British Museum;
Whereas the people of the United Kingdom support the return of the Parthenon 
        Marbles by overwhelming numbers, as reflected in a 1998 poll;
Whereas the United States has imitated the architecture of the Parthenon in 
        preeminent structures such as the Supreme Court and the Lincoln 
        Memorial;
Whereas the United States Committee on the Parthenon was established to promote 
        interest and scholarship in the Parthenon, and dedication to the 
        physical unity and artistic integrity of the Parthenon;
Whereas Greece and various international committees have pledged to accommodate 
        any conditions the United Kingdom may place on the return of the 
        Parthenon Marbles, including any economic criteria and design 
        specifications for the museum being constructed to house the marbles;
Whereas the return of the Parthenon Marbles would be the ultimate demonstration 
        by the United Kingdom of appreciation and respect for the Parthenon and 
        classical art; and
Whereas in 2004 the Olympics will return to Greece, where the Olympics began, 
        and the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to their home in Athens by 
        that time: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress urges the Government of the United Kingdom to seek to 
enter into negotiations with the Government of Greece as soon as 
possible to facilitate the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece 
before the Olympics in 2004.
                                 <all>